Three firm knocks drew the Tower Master’s attention. Looking at the enchanted clock on his desk, he sighed. He wasn’t expecting his next appointment for another half hour. But, seeing them early might mean the meeting would end early, too. A little extra time for lunch was never a bad thing.

  He walked over to the door and opened it. Smiling at his visitor, he stepped to the side and welcomed them in. “Ardwyn. Hello. Please come in.”

  Wyn nodded curtly and stepped past him, walking to one of the empty chairs sitting across from Aureus’s desk. He sat down with a posture that showed his experience of talking to superiors with respect.

  Aureus slowly closed the door and walked back to his desk. He had a rising feeling he wouldn’t get that extra time after all.

  *****

  Wyn took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew what he was going to say, but these discussions always had a way of veering off track one way or another. His emotions needed to stay in check if he wanted it to be productive. Still, he was angry. And he wanted results.

  The Tower Master shuffled some papers and held up a single piece on the stack. He looked it over briefly before shifting his eyes back to Wyn. “So, there are two inquiries you have for me to today. Very well. First, though, it’s good to see you, Ardwyn. I hope your time climbing has been fruitful?”

  Wyn nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ve been doing very well with my team, more so after joing the Twilight Blades. Now that I’m finally out from my father’s debt, both my sister and I have been doing well in the city. Thank you.”

  Aureus smiled. “Remember, no need for the formalities.”

  Wyn returned the smile and took a steadying breath as discreetly as possible. If the Tower Master wanted a bit of small talk before getting to business, then he would oblige.

  “I’m glad your efforts have been productive,” Aureus continued. “Since the new classes have emerged, we’ve been busier than ever looking to catalogue and help inform Climbers about their new positions. I hear Daniel has taken to his mentorship well, and I’ve been especially thankful for that.”

  “Yes, s… yes, he has,” Wyn said, catching himself. Old habits weren't easy to break. “He’s been excellent. Him and Marcy, both. Daniel has even asked me to help lead some of his Climbers on a climb at the end of the week to get them started for the next season.”

  “That is excellent! And yes, I nearly forgot Marcy was a part of your team. You’re racking up a group of teachers in your inner circle. Have you considered taking on Climbers to instruct yourself?”

  Wyn huffed a laugh. “Not exactly. My sister is enough of a challenge to keep in line, let alone others.”

  Aureus bellowed his own laugh. “True enough. Think about it, though. We could use the additional help if you change your mind. When new secondary quests came in to the floors and more… unique circumstances and items have been showing up for Climbers, it’s been tough on the city officials to stay ahead. It seems Alistair has brought forth some major changes in the past several seasons.”

  Wyn knew what he was talking about. Even since the Avatar gave him the lantern, more and more strange happenings have been occurring in the tower. At least according to other people. First there were secondary quests, then the unique items. He thought back to the tablets his group has found and how each of them was slightly different but very obviously related. Then there were the new classes, like Aureus mentioned.

  Alistair really was changing. And apparently Aureus and the city guild were struggling to keep up. Hopefully that wouldn’t conflict with why he was there.

  “It does seem that way,” Wyn said. “We adapt, though. It’s the only way to keep moving forward.”

  “Right you are. I couldn’t have said it better.” Aureus smiled and then tapped the paper he was holding. “But, you’re here for a reason and I’m a busy man. Well, actually, two reasons. The first is about another guild?”

  Wyn felt heat return to his cheeks. Somehow Aureus cooled him off and the ease at which he did it was surprising. “That’s right. The Faceless Four. They’ve been… threatening me and my sister. To put it bluntly.”

  The Tower Master narrowed his eyes. “I see. And are these threats on your life or property? Or something else heinous in nature?”

  “Property, mostly. They’ve mentioned several times wanting to see an item of mine and have approached me and my team multiple times, and now my sister.”

  “Mostly your property. And mentioned wanting to see an item? Did they demand to see it or just asked?”

  Wyn paused. “Well, they… asked. I guess.”

  “You guess? Or you know?”

  “I know. They want an item of mine and have been relentless about wanting it.”

  Aureus nodded and calmly folded his fingers together on his desk. “Are you sure they want an item or are just curious about one you have?”

  Wyn couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Aureus seriously doubting him?

  The worst part, though, was that the man was right. The Faceless Four hadn’t ever outright demanded Wyn’s lantern. They asked to see it, or to inspect it, or to meet with him privately. Even when they questioned Arabelle it was only words. They didn’t hurt her. But their tone and approach spoke volumes enough.

  “They want an item of mine. I know it. Two of them cornered my sister two nights ago, late at night, while she was alone, asking questions about me. She said their body language was menacing and threatening. That’s enough for me to know their intentions.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Aureus nodded. “I sympathize, Ardwyn. And I won’t place doubt on your sister’s experience. The Faceless Four are very intimidating people, and I have no doubt she felt uneasy. But unless they actually said they wanted your item for themselves, verbally threatened any of you, or inflicted some type of harm, I can’t do much.”

  “You mean unless they committed a crime, you’re powerless.”

  Aureus smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. “Well, not powerless. Though in most ways, yes. I could enact power over them if they broke laws. But I’m not completely powerless, either. I can question them and keep an eye on their dealings if they’ve been frequently disturbing.”

  “Aren’t they always disturbing?”

  Aureus cleared his throat, obviously trying to hide a laugh while keeping the appearance of being professional. “They’re a… unique bunch. But they are still Climbers, and historically only keep to themselves. If something worse happens please let me know, but otherwise my hands are tied from their inaction.”

  Wyn knew that would likely be the case. But it felt good to tell the Tower Master about their veiled threats, even though they were expertly veiled. He was told long ago to trust his gut, and something about their approach had been off. They had been mostly cordial, though Wyn wanted to prepare in case they weren’t.

  At least now Aureus was aware of their intentions. That was a small victory.

  “I will do that,” Wyn said. “Thank you for hearing me out.”

  “Of course.” He shuffled a couple of the papers in the stack and pulled a new sheet to the top. “Now, for the second order of business. You want to start a guild?”

  “That’s right. Unfortunately, the Twilight Blades are falling apart, and will be dissolved sooner rather than later. My team wants to form a new guild as we’ve enjoyed the perks that a guild offers.”

  “Just about every guild member does,” Aureus said with a chuckle. “It is rather unfortunate about them. I’m sorry. And I’m sorry that I can’t approve your request at this time.”

  Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. He thought for sure that it would be more of a formality than anything, not an outright dismissal. “No? Is there something we missed in the submission?”

  Aureus fanned the paper before setting it back down on the pile. “Not at all. But did you know there are only so many guilds that can be approved at one time? I’ve already approved another just last week after the news that the Twilight Blades broke to the public. They will take that spot.”

  “I’m confused. What’s wrong with having another guild?”

  “Well, there are a few reasons. One, is that Climbers can’t overtake the city guild’s force. My officials help keep order, run logistics in Alistair and in the various districts, and are needed as an unbiased force for the non-Climber citizens. To put it bluntly, we’re stretched thin as it is. Too many guilds will change the power dynamic of the city in the wrong direction.”

  Wyn slowly nodded. That made sense. And something he hadn’t considered. The others didn’t mention it, either, when they filled out the guild submission or were discussing their plans for their new guild. Was Aureus just being that lax in sharing information?

  “But I have good news for you,” Aureus continued. “One of the lesser-known guilds will be retiring soon. Their leader is moving back to their home city and the three groups are following her lead. Once that happens, your request will be granted. I can keep you informed of the date once I hear a final word from them.”

  Wyn dreaded telling John the news, especially something as vague as that. But being next in line was better than nothing.

  “I appreciate that,” Wyn said. “Thank you.” He stood and shook Aureus’s hand before leaving the tower, feeling more conflicted than when he arrived.

  *****

  Alistair’s base was bustling. There were the highest number of rookies Wyn had seen since he started helping with the rookie climbs, and he wondered if it was because there were more newer people becoming Climbers after the class list expanded, or if it was because the new Climbers were taking longer to train and waiting to climb in batches. Either way, it was startling to see. There were easily sixty rookies here, and this was the second rookie climb of the month. Before it was only one day but now they had to split it up due to the sheer volume of participants.

  Daniel moved in front of his vision, corralling a small group of Climbers like cattle. He was unmistakable to spot in his tall, red Ruby Magician hat that poked out above the crowd.

  Wyn stepped away from the wall and gently grabbed his mentor’s arm. “Daniel, there you are!”

  Daniel smiled in relief. “Ahh, Wyn! Thank the gods! This room is maddening. Please, come, meet your team for tonight before they start the introductions!”

  Daniel turned around and began introducing the four Climbers.

  “This is Bart, a Ruby Magician,” Daniel said, pointing to a scrawny man wearing a robe that was far too big for him. He looked like he was in his late teens, and had wide eyes that made him look nervous. Instead of a weapon he carried a tall wooden staff in his left hand, and his knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping it. He gave a small, brief wave. “His focus is more magical, and has prepared healing and support-focused spells.”

  “Great,” Wyn said. “That will serve you well, especially for your first climb.”

  Bart chuckled nervously.

  Moving to the next person, Daniel started to introduce him but the man cut him off, taking the initiative. “I’m Timothy,” the man said, extending a hand to shake. He was tall, broad shouldered and had a firm grip. At his right hip was a large hammer on a belt. “I’m also a Ruby Magician but with a combat-focus. I use spells to help when I fight, either defensively or short-range damaging spells. I have a larger than normal mana pool and some recovery, too.”

  Wyn nodded. “That was my exact goal when I started. If you play it right that will serve you well. You’re lucky to get both mana recovery and a higher amount.”

  Timothy smiled. “Thank you. I hope my future teammates will see it that way, too.”

  “With how the classes are evolving I have a feeling a lot of people are going to be rethinking the way we climb. Which is a good thing.”

  Daniel moved to the last two people, another man and a dainty woman. The woman looked to be in her thirties, with braided brown hair and wrinkles on her face that weren’t unattractive. She wore a robe and backpack and had a short wand tucked into a wide leather belt on her waist that held four vials. Which was interesting, considering most rookie Climbers couldn’t afford one potion, let alone four.

  The man was average height but had flaming red hair, a rarity for people in the city. His face was freckled and he looked to be about Wyn’s age. He wore leather chest armor and padded pants, but carried a staff in his hand.

  “This is Michael and Betty,” Daniel said. “They are Climbers with new classes but ready to tackle Alistair!”

  “Welcome,” Wyn said. “What are your classes?”

  Betty stepped forward with a small step. “I’m a Brewer. I can both create potions using mana and enhance existing ones with varied effects. Which is nice, because I was an apothecary before moving to the city and becoming a merchant specializing in potions. Now I’m a magical one, which is both strange and exciting, if I’m being honest.”

  Wyn’s eyes widened. He hadn’t heard of any new class like that. “That’s incredible! And fortunate you had a class so similar to your profession. What kinds of effects can you do?”

  “I can create potions with water, mana, and monster drops, and imbue effects with just the basics right now. Healing, mana recovery, stamina recovery. I can change the effect from instant to prolonged, though the strength is always about the same as a standard potion. But I have a skill called Infuse that lets me temporarily increase the effects of potions and eliminates the time between being able to take potions. It doesn’t seem like much, but hopefully as I progress, I’ll get more features to help support my team and business.”

  “I think that sounds incredibly useful. I can already imagine several instances where that would be more than helpful, especially in a business context.” He had half a mind to pull her aside and ask if she wanted to make a business connection, even though that was more of Arabelle’s strength. It would definitely be worth bringing up to her, though.

  “And I’m a Tamer,” Michael said, clearing his throat and smiling awkwardly. “Sorry. That was… a bit out of line.”

  Daniel laughed. “I’ve told you, Michael, this is informal. It would be good for Wyn to know your class, so go ahead.”

  Michael nodded. “I can capture monsters and convert them to be allies.”

  Wyn started to answer but paused. He had to think about that explanation for a moment. How was that possible? And what did that look like?

  “I know it’s strange,” Michael continued, “and I haven’t really had a chance to practice it yet since it only works on tower-created beings. But I’m very curious to give it a try!”

  “And I’m very curious for you to try it,” Wyn said. “How long does the taming aspect last? Can you take monsters out of the tower?”

  Michael scratched the back of his head. “I can’t take monsters out of Alistair, and they only last for as long as I’m in the tower. At least that's what my class description says as a first tier class. Daniel says I have great potential if I can tame good monsters for boss fights and such, but we really don’t know until we try it.”

  Wyn nodded. He was right that it was unknown territory. It could either be a terrible class or one of the best ones around. His features required interactions with monsters, and what if they were too deadly to deal with? He'd be injured before even being relevant. But what if they found champions and he could convert them? Or had a dragon he could control? Could he ride it?

  The possibilities seemed endless.

  Wyn went over a few key rules with the group before another veteran made the announcements for the rookie climb. Wyn mostly ignored them as he could only think about the Climbers he was going to lead. The two new classes were interesting, and how many more interesting classes were out there? And having two more Ruby Magicians was great for variety, and if they did well, he was curious as to what their class upgrades would be.

  There was so much change going on around him. Climbing, setting up business partnerships, figuring out their guild situation, dealing with the Faceless Four. Life was getting complicated.

  But that was part of living. At least he was no longer in debt. His sister was happy, healthy, and thriving. His friends were doing well. And he was starting to find his place in the city.

  For the first time in a long time, Wyn finally found himself excited for the future.

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