Chương 125: Arc 2 - Chapter 67

Bert didn't speak for almost six seconds, a bright burst of golden light manifested, surrounding Cal and solidifying into the shape of another gold banded chest. The man opened his eyes, they were filled with joy and eager avarice. Bert frowned, annoyed that his moment had been interrupted, apparently he'd been waiting some time for this.

"As I was saying, this is a Dale Stone," Bert stated, again. Before any one could ask a thing, Rosie began to glow with pale blue light and her body began to change. Scales shifted, forming symmetrical ridges on her cheekbones, chin and jaw. Her entire forehead was covered in those same grey-blue, metallic scales up to where her hair sprouted. Those dark, knotted seaweed-like locks smoothed slightly and took on hues of deep green.

Then between her shoulders and neck, her flesh split, revealing three-slitted gills on both sides. Her fingers elongated slightly, the nails darkened and sharpened. The backsides of her now webbed hands were covered in scales as were her arms and what they could see of her legs, leaving only her palms and parts of her face exposed with pale, blue-tinted skin. Rosie opened her eyes and they were dark, almost black, then she stood and stared wildly at her hands and arms.

She grinned and they could see her uneven teeth had become pointed and slightly serrated, almost like a shark's. She cackled, dancing in place before she noticed everyone watching. Cal's mouth hung open and he worked his jaw as he tried to find words to match his obvious surprise.

"Guess what power I got?" She boasted, grinning wide at all the shocked onlookers.

"The Merfolk Strain?" Fritz asked blandly.

"What!?" Rosie cried.

"How'd you know?"

"It's rather... apparent," Fritz provided. Bert looked on annoyed at another interruption. His great reveal of his long hidden scheme wasn't going quite to plan. Fritz had to stifle a smirk.

"Oh, is it?" She asked before she wheeled on Lauren.

"Can I borrow your mirror?" Lauren stared, too stunned by the woman's transformation to speak straight away.

"Please?" Rosie asked pitiably, shaking the woman out of her shock.

"Yes, of course," Lauren said.

"It's in my pack, let's go get it." Lauren led the way out of the fountain's basin and towards where the bags, packs and bronze chests had been placed haphazardly, before the sudden rush to the Well. Fritz decided to join the two, setting down his pack with the rest, casually, as if there was nothing odd about him already having stored away his chest awarded for his climb.

"Wow," Rosie whispered as she knelt and peered into the small mirror.

"I look so... pretty." That wasn't the word Fritz would have chosen, and judging from Lauren's controlled expression she wouldn't have either. Rosie wasn't the same as before, she wasn't as ugly, that much was true. Her bulging eyes complimented both her new complexion and the scaled ridges high on her cheeks. In fact, Fritz would go as far to say that the changes suited her, and although she was still no great beauty she now looked more unusual than ugly.

Almost exotic in a way, especially in the right light where her scales glittered gently.

"But I'm so shiny, and my eyes are so dark," Rosie said, sniffing quietly, then beginning to weep. They were joyful tears, he could tell, spying the motes of sparking white and yellow that swirled around her hunched-over form.

"I'm sorry," Lauren mumbled, misjudging hope for despair.

"There are ways to hide the worst of it."

"Hide?" Rosie asked.

"Why?"

"The scales…" Lauren hedged, perplexed.

"Are pretty! Look how shiny they are. I love them," Rosie stated.

"Oh. Ohh," Lauren said, finally catching on.

"Yes, they are quite nice. You could probably even polish them to make them brighter."

"To a mirror sheen," Fritz added, smiling. The words made Rosie grin wider than he'd ever seen, even as tears still dripped from her eyes.

"Ahem," Bert coughed, trying to gather their attention again.

"As I was saying: this is a Dale stone." He held the orb of quartz aloft for all to see. The team were quiet for the moment, all waiting on his next words with expressions varying from mild interest at best to eager impatience at worst. Obviously, the others wanted to check their chests or boast about their new Powers as well, but they held their own tongues for when Bert was done with his performance. They could tell it was important to him.

Fritz knew it was his turn to speak, and so he did, supporting his brother's act, "And what does this beautiful bauble do?" He had, of course, seen the stone before, here and there, but Bert had been cagey with the sphere, secreting it away whenever Fritz drew close. He knew not where Bert had found it, even if its pale white colour seemed familiar.

"This Stone is not just a 'beautiful bauble'," Bert scoffed.

"Look!" Bert glowed with a pale yellow light, pulsing slowly as if in time with his heartbeat. The orb in his hand shined, illuminated into a globe of bright white. The radiance it shed was warm and brought with it an ethereal hum laced with a feeling of beginnings and new hopes. The team stared on enraptured while Dusksong vibrated within Fritz's chest. The dark, cold tones called out in greeting, then in callous challenge. It cried in joy and jealousy, excitement and envy, longing and loathing.

Fritz pushed it down, suppressing the song. Stifling the strange magic didn't require as much effort as he thought it would, Dusksong soon settled into its standard subtle, nigh-silent singing. Seemingly it knew the power Bert currently exuded and reacted raucously in recognition rather than obstinate opposition. The shining light dissipated within moments, leaving Bert holding the pale orb. He frowned, then glanced around at the expectant faces.

"Was that it?" Toby asked.

"We already have glowstones."

"It's not a glowstone," Bert protested with annoyance. He mumbled something under his breath, then his face lit with an idea and he called out, "Cal, get me the salt!"

"Why?" Cal asked.

"Just do it, you'll see," Bert said. Cal looked to Fritz for confirmation, receiving a smirking nod in return. The hauler rushed to his pack, placing down his own Golden chest while he searched through his things.

"Get the pot as well!" Bert ordered. Cal muttered something unpleasant, but did as he asked, while the requested items were being dug out, those of the team still sitting or standing in the Well's water left it, sloshing onto the scaled stone all around. Only Bert remained in the basin, though he did come close to the edge to take the pot and small box of salt. He filled the iron pot a quarter full with water, then poured all the salt in after it, much to Cal's chagrin.

"Hey, that's all we have. It'll be expensive to buy more," he whined, but Bert didn't even give him a look as he was far too focused on the salty water. He placed the pot on the stone before him, then dropped the orb gently into the liquid. A sizzling sound burbled forth and the team crowded in, peering over the iron lip and trying to get a good view of what was happening. Within the pot, the quartz bubbled. Foam, thick and white poured out from the pale crystal and crept up the iron.

Where the foam touched iron rust blossomed, quickly coating the entire interior in brown-red hues. There was a small cracking sound, like the breaking of a porcelain teapot and the orb took on a less smooth shape as its surface melted away. Bert reached into the foam without fear and took up his precious stone, looking upon it with sickening affection.

"Look," he whispered as if trying not to wake a sleeping child, presenting the hunk of quartz on his upturned palm. Now the stone was was rough, had strange ridges and an odd hole on it's bottom half. Fritz nearly hissed when he recognised it for what it was. Slimy red flesh, covered with white cracks slid out of the shell tentatively. Tiny, needled tendrils soon followed along with three stalks topped with mustard yellow orbs for eyes.

The goggling stalks swayed this way and that taking in the team in their complete silence.

"What in the abyss is that?" Lauren blurted out, incredulity warring with disgust in her tone and on her face.

"It's Dale," Bert said smugly, as the small salt snail wrapped an exploring tentacle around the man's thumb.

"My beast companion."

"What?" Cal asked dumbly.

"My beast companion, isn't he cute?" Bert said as the creature continued to sit in his palm. Viscously.

"It's vile," Lauren said somewhat affronted. Bert frowned and shielded Dale from her scornful gaze with his hand.

"It's foul," Jane agreed. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Shh, don't be cruel," Bert said softly, pretending at offence.

"It's almost a skulg," Toby observed darkly.

"He's not! He's Dale, and he will be my loyal beast," Bert proclaimed, scowling slightly, though his lips twitched at the edges as he suppressed an annoying grin." Really?" Fritz asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

"Really," Bert confirmed.

"You managed to be offered an exquisitely rare beast bond Trait and you took it. Only to use it on one of those things?" Fritz reiterated. He had, of course, suspected Bert of trying to get a beast companion, in fact, he was sure of it. But the fact he had found an egg of one of the rust snails had blindsided him. He felt foolish. Or would have if the idea wasn't so stupid it didn't bear thinking about.

"That's right. He's perfect," Bert said, his big, dumb grin breaking loose.

"Perfectly awful," Fritz said, though he only half meant it.

"It ruined my pot," George observed, giving the snail a wary glance.

"Is it some kind of rust-aligned creature?"

"Yes, and when he grows older and stronger, he can spray salt acid," Bert said.

"Just like me," he added proudly.

"It is kinda cute," Rosie hedged, she stepped closer and held out a finger which caused the snail to retreat into its shell.

"It's a coward," Rosie said.

"He's just been born. A baby, of course he's scared," Bert protested, patting the shell and mumbling gentle reassurances to the sticky beast.

"You could have bonded the aberrant Eel's egg," Fritz pointed out.

"Why go with this?"

"An eel?" Bert asked as if the thought offended him.

"A lightning eel," Cal corrected.

"It would drown in the open air," Bert said easily.

"Can't take it everywhere, like you can with this lil' fella."

"Still, there are far better beasts to bond," Lauren said.

"None that interest me," Bert sniffed smugly.

"What was your bonding Trait called?" Fritz enquired, accepting his brother's odd choice but curious why his Dusksong had responded as it did.

"Dawning Friendship," Bert said.

"It's not," Fritz argued, refusing to believe the man.

"How do you know?" Bert retorted.

"There is no way that it's a pun," Fritz stated.

"Fine, it's called Dawn's Bond," Bert responded.

"But I like the other name better." Fritz merely nodded. It made sense now, though he should have suspected it sooner. The Trait must have evolved from his Twilight Touched Trait, gifted to him by the Dawndove after she had healed him. The memory felt like it was from an age ago and still had that dreamlike quality that made it hard to recollect any small details. He wondered if Bert also gained a Magic Attribute, maybe a Dawnsong that stood opposite and equal to his own Dusksong.

His musings were interrupted when Dale crept out from its shell again and began to slowly turn, intent on sliding up Bert's arm.

"So it can spray acid and rust metal, what else can it do?" Cal asked "It doesn't look very dangerous."

"It's also a little small," Toby noted, a hint of mocking in his tone.

"Oh don't worry about that," Bert said, waving away their concern smugly.

"They grow to be big, very big. Isn't that right, Fritz?"

"Huge," Fritz confirmed.

"Where did you find such a monster?" George asked.

"I uh... found it. You know... lying around," Bert said.

"But enough about that, look how smart he is! He already knows we're going to be best friends." Dale had crawled all the way to Bert's shoulder where it turned forward and waved its tendrils awkwardly in the air. It let out a high, happy whistle. Fritz was somehow reminded of a parrot, an ugly parrot. No, a horrible, hideous, parrot.

"Awful," Jane said.

"It's not so bad," Fritz allowed, attempting to lend his brother some support.

"I'm sure it'll be a.. great... boon on our Climbs. They're surprisingly tough beasts, a perfect pairing for Bert really."

"That's right! We'll be indestructible together," Bert said, grinning.

"Two peas in a pod," Fritz said.

"Three," Bert protested.

"Fritz, get over here and greet our newest crew." Fritz smiled and waved a hand at the creature, which, to his horror, waved back. He almost grimaced.

"That's not right, come shake his hand," Bert said, grinning ever wider.

"It doesn't have hands," Fritz noted.

"It's tentacle," Bert corrected.

"Maybe later," Fritz said.

"Rosie, how wonderful it is that you gained a Strain!"

"Yes!" Rosie agreed, then she snorted.

"Maybe I can become a noble lady now."

"You'd have to be recognised by the king," Lauren stated.

"Though, now that you're... the way you are it would be easier."

"How do I do that?" Rosie asked.

"You'd have to do him some great favour or serve faithfully for years," Fritz supplied.

"Though a gift of thousands of gold could grant you a noble title."

"If only it were that easy," Lauren said.

"If the gift only had to be gold my mother would have been a baroness decades ago."

"Hah, I was jokin'. I don't want to be no lady," Rosie said.

"So, Rosie now has a Strain, Bert now has a... companion. Does anyone else have anything they'd like to share?" Fritz asked the group at large.

"Before we go into our own secrets shouldn't you be more clear about your own," Lauren said.

"We are at the precipice, and you did say you'd explain more." Fritz stifled a wince, she was both right and wrong. He had promised to spill something of his secrets but not all of them.

"Is that really relevant now?" Fritz asked, trying to put her off for the moment.

"Yes, we followed you here, and you lied to us about your experience," Lauren argued coldly.

"I'm not sure I lied. Not outright," Fritz said blandly.

"Very well, not lied then. Though you weren't honest," Lauren pressed. Fritz sighed.

"You're right. I wasn't totally honest. Though it was for safety, both yours and ours."

"Is that so?" Lauren said.

"It is, the secret we keep is one kept quiet by the Nightshark," Fritz said, even though it felt like they'd been over this before.

"It's incredibly dangerous. Isn't that right? Toby? Jane?"

"He's right," Toby stated.

"We can't even speak it." He added, pulling on his shirt and revealing a dark fang tattooed just below his collarbone.

"What's that?" Fritz asked at the same time as Lauren.

"You don't have one?" Toby asked, scowling.

"You never met them?"

"What? No. Didn't meet who?" Fritz asked, puzzlement coursing over his mind.

"You know who," Toby glowered.

"I was wondering why you used the name so easily. You don't even have the..."

"The what?"

"I can't say," Toby said, glancing down at the black fang meaningfully.

"Does Jane have one too?" Bert asked.

"No," Jane said, nodding and showing off an identical mark below her shirt.

"What does it do?" Fritz asked, not expecting an answer and receiving none from the two.

"Cursed ink perhaps?" Lauren answered. Fritz nodded.

"Set to activate if they talk about... secrets." The two were silent.

"Why did you agree to such a thing?" Lauren asked, though Fritz thought he knew the answer.

"Not much choice and it was a condition for our Climb," Toby said.

"Meant to keep you loyal."

"Didn't stop you from turning on Larry, and the others," Bert pointed out.

"Loyalty to uhh... you know. Not the whole outfit," Jane offered.

"I don't know exactly how such things work," Lauren said.

"But the conditions to activate such a mark have to be specific. If they were too vague they would simply not work, or work right away doing... whatever they are meant to do."

"Kill or maim. I suppose," Fritz said. Again the two remained silent.

"I wonder why Nic didn't drag us away to get marked," Bert thought aloud.

"I think our ruse saved us," Fritz theorised.

"Why waste gold branding two weakling non-Pathers?"

"Won't save you for long," Jane said seriously.

"They'll know you're a Pather now."

"And they brand the Pathers," Fritz said, finishing the sentence for her. Silence fell on the team, and belatedly Fritz realised they had been speaking of some fairly sensitive subjects right in front of everyone.

"Right, if you want to know our secrets you must be prepared to never speak about them to anyone else. It's your lives on the line as well as ours. And another oath swearing secrecy will be required."

"I don't want to know any more than I already do," Toby professed darkly.

"I'm content with not knowing as well," Jane said soberly.

"Sounds like a hassle, and I don't really care," Rosie said with a shrug. George shuffled uncomfortably.

"I trust you, Fritz, Bert. You may have secrets, but so does everyone. I won't pry."

"I'm with George," Cal said.

"And I don't want to be in on a secret the Nightshark kills for." That left only Lauren, who bowed her head thoughtfully.

"I want to know," she eventually said, brow furrowed in concern and eyes alight with that ring of ember.

"If that's what you want then you shall have it. You deserve as much for following even when you had every reason to leave," Fritz said.

"However, before we start spilling I will still need a promise from each of you regarding our Climb."

"What kind of promise?" Cal asked tentatively.

"Well, as we were all party to the murder of Larry and his team, we should agree to stay silent on that matter," Fritz suggested.

"If that little fact were to get out we would all be in some trouble."

"Some trouble," Toby groused.

"You mean dead and drowned."

"Some trouble indeed," Lauren agreed.

"I think the easiest agreement we could make would be not to talk about the specifics of our Climb. Never mention the eighth Floor, or what happened there," Fritz posited. Toby and Jane nodded eagerly at that. They seemed to know that if it ever came out that they had betrayed their team, murdered two of them themselves, they would not be shown any mercy.

"I got my tiles there," George said.

"Then say you got them on the ninth," Toby said. George sighed, lying didn't sit well with that man and that could be a problem.

"Oh, and Toby, Jane, you'll need to come up with a plausible story why you're alive and your team are not," Fritz stated. Jane's face fell and Toby grimaced.

"Don't worry we'll work on something together," Bert proclaimed stepping up to the two and placing a hand on each of their shoulders reassuringly. The snail whistled.

"And Dale can help." They nodded, giving strained smiles and eyeing the monster warily.

"Well, before we get into any long talks, perhaps we should move on to much more exciting endeavours," Fritz said.

"Like what?" Cal asked.

"Like opening the chests!" Fritz ordained.

"Oh! Right!" Cal said, a grin shattering his worried expression.

"Let's get to it! Three bronze chests," Bert agreed.

"Bound to be full of loot!" The team soon hurried over to the packs and bags, lugging over their Gold Climb chests and placing them by their other things. They then gathered around the three bronze-banded Treasure chests.

"Should these two really be getting a share of the treasure?" Cal asked.

"What with all the harm they've caused us."

"We helped kill the Eel," Toby argued.

"I've mended your wounds," Jane added.

"Wouldn't have got the wounds without the spite," Cal grumbled.

"Yes you would have," Toby said.

"And it doesn't matter. We fought, we should get a share."

"No," Fritz said.

"No?" Toby asked incredulously.

"No, we suffered through the spite for the two of you," Fritz stated.

"Our climb would have been far easier without you. Your reward is what you carry, your Gold Climb chests, and most importantly your lives." He wove a hint of Dusksong's finality into his words, let it sink into their souls. Even with this small flex of magic, he expected them to argue, to wheedle and whine. Though that wasn't to be, they looked at each other and something passed between them, sadness and surety soaking into those gazes. They turned back to the team sombrely.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Jane said softly.

"You risked so much for us."

"I'm sorry too. Greed was getting to our heads," Toby said, this time without a hint of falsehood in his usually sarcastic tone.

"You've done us a great turn, one some could say we don't deserve." When no one contradicted him, he coughed, then continued, "We owe each of you a great debt, our lives. If we can do anything for you on the outside, we will."

"We will," Jane echoed. Normally this is when Fritz would have scoffed and would have mocked them for daring to lie so brazenly, but he could see the sincerity solidly surrounding them. The odd field almost reminded him of his barrier ring's shield. He held his tongue, waiting for their next words.

"Thank you," Toby finished, his face flushing slightly as they all stared at him.

"Thank you," Jane said in hushed tones, a tear running down her scarred cheek as she looked at the ground.

"You won't regret it." They stood quietly and Fritz let himself accept their thanks. His grudge against them still held, heavy and cold, but something about its weight lessened.

"What a good speech!" Bert proclaimed, breaking the awkward silence.

"Who knew you had it in you."

"Yes, well done," Fritz said.

"And, you're welcome," He added with the most infuriating smirk he could conjure. The rest of the team, nodded along and said their own versions of "You're welcome," ranging from the humble, "It was nothing," from George to the dismissive shrug of Rosie.

"We'll step back as you open the chests. We'll be over there," Toby said, pointing to one of the window-walls. They grabbed their things, packed their packs, and set off to sit together. Like that, whatever Spire magic had bound them all as a team for those terrible two floors dimly dissipated, cut cleanly like twine meeting a razor's edge. Fritz only barely felt the sensation brush over him, but noticed that the others had sensed something similar, even if they knew not what they had felt.

Once the pair were far enough away from the gathered loot, all eyes turned to the three chests.

"Now, time for some Treasure."