The Wandering Spire

The rattling of the shanty houses that surrounded them marked the exit of the Fleas. In moments, the three were left alone, but Jeze couldn't shake the feeling of being watched from the decaying shadows. This place of filth and human suffering unnerved her. She decided she hated cities.

"How do we meet with your Night Mistress?" Rainbow asked.

Swordslayer snorted. "Nothing happened between us."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, and Jeze teased, "Was she your girlfriend?"

The man scowled at the teenager and said, "Seriously, we fought, and I let her live. It was a mutual understanding."

"Uh-huh." Jeze nodded and made smooching sounds with her lips.

Swordslayer growled and moved toward the mocking girl but was stopped by Rainbow. "Focus! How do we get to the tunnels?"

The man growled, and the young girl laughed. "See, this is why we can't have her join. She's immature," Swordslayer hissed and then motioned for them to follow him.

The three traveled on the closest thing that could resemble a street within Ratstown. It was a dusty dirt road wide enough for three people to stand shoulder to shoulder. The sides were lined with tightly packed shanty houses made from filth and rotted wood. The way was dark and shadowy, and the only light to guide them came from the pale glow of the moon and the occasional flickering candle from within the darkness of the tiny homes. They were tense and prepared for an ambush that could happen at any moment from the thousands of dark crevices that lined their path.

"Are we almost there?" Jeze muttered after what she felt like was an hour of walking through the windy street.

All humor was lost from her voice, and Swordslayer responded with a nod. His thick jaw was firm, and his body was tense and ready for action. Rainbow walked beside the swordsman with her hands prepared to shape Glyphs. The fatigue of remaining alert for so long was etched upon all of their faces. Even Ziplocke was subdued, and Jeze felt the Goblin's head dart back and forth, scanning for threats. Jeze was tempted to retrieve her glow globe but knew it would draw unwanted attention to them. It was better to walk among the shadows and remain as unseen as possible.

"We are here," Swordslayer said.

Before them, on the ground, was a heavy steel grate covered in filth with rivulets of putrid water draining into it. The smell nearly caused Jeze to retch.

"No way are we going in there," she stated.

Swordslayer nodded silently. The muscles in his neck bulged as he lifted the iron grate and moved it to the side with a loud clatter. Hundreds of roaches and flies swarmed out in all directions from the menacing opening. His demonstration of strength impressed Jeze despite her misgivings about going into the sewers.

"Welcome to the life of an adventurer." Rainbow slapped the teenager's back.

"It's not so bad. I kind of like the smell," Ziplocke said, sniffing the air.

The Goblin was munching on a squirming insect that was nearly the size of his fist. Jeze retched. Rainbow completed a gesture and Summoned a small globe of light that hovered in the air. The illumination melted away the shadows around them as if they were waking up from a dream, and the area looked a lot less menacing under its glow. The jagged shadows became simple, tiny wooden homes.

Rainbow Controlled the sphere to go into the hole, illuminating the sewer beneath them. Jeze saw that it was a short distance down onto the murky brownish sludge that ran below. Swordslayer readied himself and dropped down with a splash. Jeze shivered with disgust.

"Come, I know a Water Aspect pattern that can clean us afterwards," Rainbow said before she dropped down into the hole.

Ziplocke followed with delight and called back, "Hurry up! It's wonderful down here."

Jeze shuddered and then gagged as the smell pierced her nostrils like a huntsman spear. Rainbow's light traveled further into the depths and left the teenager alone outside in the dark. Jeze sighed and dropped in to follow and discovered that the muck was not deep. She was able to easily traverse on dry patches and the smell was still horrendous but had less impact upon her as she rushed to catch up with the others.

"See? Not so bad," Ziplocke observed. The Goblin was munching on something that sounded crunchy, and Jeze saw a squirming roach leg get slurped up into his mouth. She suppressed a shudder and instead smiled gently at her companion.

Swordslayer was in front, and the top of his bun was just shy of touching the slick ceiling of the tunnel. The sewer was wet, grimy, and smelly. Overall, it was a horrible experience that made Jeze reconsider the life of an adventurer. They traveled deeper, and Jeze's reconsideration grew stronger with each sloshing step. After a while, they came upon a turn where the sewer curved to their left, and a crumbling gap appeared in the square-cut stone walls in the corner. Jeze peered through the opening, and the contrast on the other side was like it had led to another dimension. She grinned. Her passion for adventure was reignited!

"We are here," Swordslayer said.

Through the crumbling gap was a tunnel that went further underground and was surrounded by dirt and roots. Rainbow's light showed what lay on the other side, and it was a chamber of worked jade-colored stone that seemed ancient. The swordsman went down the passage, and his companions followed. Jeze's eyes widened when she exited.

"Who built this?" She wondered.

They were in a chamber that miraculously had not collapsed. The ceiling was heavily packed earth, and the ground was worked green stone. Several meters ahead of them was a wide building made of the same stone as the floor. It had an arched way with a heavy metal and wooden door that was slightly ajar and showed darkness beyond.

Swordslayer shrugged. "People that lived here long before the Ironfist Kingdom," he replied.

"The Ones from Before," Jeze mumbled.

Rainbow turned on Jeze so suddenly that the young girl was taken aback. "Where did you hear that?" The multi-haired lady demanded.

Jeze answered, "From a buried pyramid within the Deep Wood. Why?"

Rainbow relaxed and apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just my mom used to tell me stories of the Ones from Before. To this day, I have never heard that expression from anyone else until you."

"Oh, well, I found this!" Jeze excitedly began, and she unshouldered her pack to retrieve the tome she had taken from the Pyramid. But stopped when a gentle woman's voice came from the doorway and echoed throughout the chamber.

"Welcome back, Swordslayer. I have redecorated since your last visit. I hope you find it entertaining," the ghostly voice said and ended with a seductive laugh.

Jeze and Rainbow both glanced at the man with arched eyebrows. Swordslayer refused to meet their eyes.

"We should go," he muttered.

Ziplocke cackled with glee and made smooching sounds. The Goblin stopped when Swordslayer glared at him. Ziplocke scurried to hide behind Jeze's knee. She patted his head.

Rainbow did not move. "You need to explain to us what we are walking into," She insisted.

"What's there to explain? It's an ancient ruin. We have gone through similar ones dozens of times before. I don't know about the girl," the man answered with a wave toward Jeze.

"I've done one!" The teenager stated proudly.

Swordslayer and Rainbow arched their eyes at her. "Really?" The man asked.

"Yes!" Jeze snapped. She didn't like that they doubted her and was tired of being underestimated.

Rainbow stepped between the two. "Answers, now." She demanded of Swordslayer.

The muscular warrior sighed and said, "A decade ago, I took the assignment to investigate strange incidents in Ratstown. This was before the Empire invaded Angston, and this city was ruled by the Ironfist Kingdom."

"By yourself?" Rainbow asked.

"No, I had two others," Swordslayer responded, and he looked at the building as if it could help with his memory.

"What happened to your colleagues?" Jeze asked.

"Tell me about the incidents," Rainbow said. The two nearly spoke in the same instance.

"One at a time!" Snapped Swordslayer. He ignored Jeze and answered Rainbow, "There were complaints of undead coming from the sewers."

Rainbow nodded and unslung her pack. "So we are facing the undead. What type? Incorporeal? Zombies?"

Swordslayer tapped his chin. "I think both."

"You don't remember!" Demanded Jeze.

"Do you know how many ruins and dungeons I have conquered since then?" The man asked.

"Have you done the Spire?" Jeze wondered.

"Have I done the Spire? Sheesh! I'm the great Swordslayer! This will be my second time," he nearly shouted.

Rainbow was laying out items from her pack along the floor included vials of clear liquid, various Channeling tools that ranged from rods to wands, and one silver dagger.

"Is your name really Swordslayer?" Jeze asked.

"Yes."

Rainbow took the wand and silver dagger and tucked them into her belt by her waist. She gathered up the silver vials.

"Really? Why Swordslayer? Such an odd name," Jeze asked.

"Because I use swords, and I slay!" The fighter exclaimed.

"That's not your real name," Jeze observed.

"Is Jeze even your real name?" Wondered Swordslayer.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"It sounds odd," Swordslayer teased.

Jeze placed her fists at her sides and stomped the ground. "It does not! Aaargh! You are so frustrating!"

Rainbow handed each of them a vial of clear liquid. Swordslayer nodded his thanks and placed it in the pockets of his baggy black pants.

"What's this?" Jeze asked.

"It's water infused with the Life aspect. It is not cheap to make, so only drink it if you get hit by a wraith or other ghost-like undead," Rainbow explained.

"Those beings are from the realm of Death. They will cause your flesh and bones to rot," Ziplocke explained with glee.

Jeze eyed the vial in wonder, "Did you make this?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Can you teach me?" Jeze asked.

"Enough! Let's go in and get this over with," Swordslayer demanded.

"Someone can't wait to see their girlfriend," Jeze teased.

Swordslayer faced the young girl with a stony face. "You should not make jokes at this time. The Night Mistress sounds like she is in a playful mood, and that is dangerous enough for us. We do not want to anger her."

Rainbow nodded toward the door that was the entrance to the ancient ruins. "The two that you traveled with, where are they now?"

"They didn't make it out," Swordslayer solemnly answered.

Jeze's smile and mirth left her face. This became real.