Chương 182: Arc 3 - Chapter 54

The bowstring twanged and the arrow soared. The shaft wasn't made of wood or stone, but solid air, nearly invisible against the grey sky. Sid watched as it flew in a steady arc before burying itself into the giant squid sizing up the ship. The arrow burst as it struck, as did the pale eye set into wet orange flesh. The beast, twice as long as a man, rolled, flailed its tentacles and dived below the waves. A few seconds later, a gout of ink sprayed out from the ocean, aimed right at where she stood.

She was able to dodge, and the black torrent soaked the deck instead, while a small amount struck one of the lazing lords leaning on the ship's mast.

"Must you bother the beasts?" Lord Ballast decried, pulling free a handkerchief and rubbing at the hem of his stained battle robe.

"Why don't you just let them, and us, rest?" Sid almost sneered at the nobleman, but was just able to keep the disdain from her features. All he ever did was rest. He, Lord Scarford and that simpering Lady Whitewater, who fussed at his side, were always resisting and reassigning any tasks sent their way. They had been treating the whole climb, all nine floors and now the tenth, as some kind of lark, when they weren't doing worse.

Not only would they abandon watches to play cards or gossip in their tents, but they would take more than their fair share of food, whether it was rations or something Sid herself had hunted while they made their way through the Floors. She had complained, at first, to the Guide, Jerral. But he ignored her grievences. He was here to escort those three to the top. The other five, Sid included, were merely meant to be attendants or protection. Beast bait, for when the Guide led them wrong.

Which, to his credit, he hadn't, yet. He was the Captain of their team, but was reluctant to ever order the nobles unless it was a matter of life and death. Which in this Spire it seldom was. Climbing the Mer Spire had been nothing like the Sunken Spire. That first terrifying Climb had been one deadly peril after another, and she had been led by who she now recognised as a lucky amateur. This one had been a breeze in comparison with barely a dangerous complication.

The Guide knew all the common Floors and their likely layouts. And when he had come across a Door he didn't know, he would ignore it and simply choose the safest path from the other two. He avoided Floors with beasts where and when he could, and led them carefully through Trap Floors and Survival Floors with ease. It had been... boring, mostly, and she regretted that she hadn't brought a book or two. It wasn't that she missed the constant threat of deadly peril, but it did feel like something was missing.

A certain excitement. Or perhaps it was the companionship she found wanting. She did find herself missing those two idiots she had Climbed with before. Even if they were both infuriating and impulsive in their own ways. That, and she could trust them far more than the current group she was with. If she could trust anyone at all. Annoyingly, they'd also found little in the way of Treasures or chests. It had to be because they took too few risks, she knew, so she couldn't complain.

It might be for the best, really, she had the feeling that the Lords and Lady would be the ones to take any Treasures for themselves if they discovered any. But how was she meant to repay Fritz properly? He had given her plenty and deserved something nice back.

"Don't scowl at me like that, you filthy ruffian," the lordling ordered. Sid turned her face away, staring out at the ocean and oncoming storm clouds. Her jaw clenched. The wind blew harshly and the salt stung her skin.

"Did you hear me, lout!?" He barked, glaring through the scant traces of a black eye.

"Oh, leave it be. You know how that one is. As bad as the beasts and thrice as savage. We'll be rid of him in a day or two," Lord Scarford stated dismissively.

"That can't come too soon," Lord Ballast said. Sid was silent. It did no good to argue with nobles, even these lower-ranked ones whose station was at the bottom of the pile. They were trouble. All of them. It didn't help that the Lady kept making eyes at her, fluttering her lashes seductively. It wasn't unpleasant. She was refined, and as pretty as the best the districts had to offer, but her attentions had all the trappings of a ploy.

One to make the other two men jealous, have them vie for her affection and to cause further trouble in the group. Some petty women were like that. Sid had seen it before in some of the more scheming strumpets at Tallie's. Still ignoring the provocations, both insulting and flattering, Sid made her way towards the hatch that led to the bunks below the deck. The nobles wouldn't follow her down and other Climbers would leave her be. She could glare at them without worry and they knew not to mess with her.

As she strode by where the nobles stood, Lady Whitewater leant close as she passed and whispered loudly, "Though I wasn't witness to any of that savagery. I wouldn't be opposed to it..." The noblemen scowled darkly, and the Lady laughed.

"I jest! You two are too serious." Sid left them to their posturing. Once she was in the dark beneath the deck, she found her way to the hammock that she had claimed the day earlier, when they had walked through the Door and walked up and into the ship's empty hold. Back then, the Guide had immediately claimed the captain's quarters, and the nobles took the officer's rooms. The rest had been relegated to the cold, creaky crew quarters.

She passed by the others, one was a bodyguard for the nobles, one was their servant, and the last two were a short, young man and a comely, cute woman who were each from well-to-do merchant families. They were a Mr. Seastone and a Ms Cloudforth. They weren't bad folk, but they were all Upper Ringers and had been wary of her ever since she had admitted she was from the Districts. That much couldn't have been hidden, unlike her levels from the Sunken Spire, since her rough manner was more than obvious.

They'd at least treated her with some small respect, she portrayed herself as a Pather who had Climbed the Mer Spire before and was attempting a Silver Climb. She wasn't sure the Guide had believed her when she had introduced herself. His smile was all too knowing for her liking, but he had said nothing. Sid suspected he had some sort of deal with the Nightshark. She wondered just how much the Guides Guild knew. Was the whole guild bribed to feign ignorance, or was it this man alone?

What could they have to gain from keeping the Sunken Spire secret? Surely the King would be furious if he found out, was it worth the risk of angering the most powerful man in the city? Those thoughts had circled her head for days, but eventually she found she no longer cared for the reasons or the rationale. She was there to Climb, become more powerful, not to meddle in the affairs far above her.

As for power, she had grasped more, her Attributes had been increased, which reassured her, even if her choices of Abilities had been lacklustre. She assumed this was due to the relative safety of their Climb and the easy Doors chosen by the Guide. Sid had been nervous before the First Floor, especially when she was told to use her water-breathing potion as soon as they were in front of the Door.

Jerral was genteel yet distant when he spoke, though he had made it clear that they should follow his orders without question if they wanted to survive. She heeded him. Sid knew just how deadly a Spire could be and some part of her revolted at the notion of entering one again. Still, she had to do it. She needed more strength. While she had been worried, the First Floor had passed by without any trouble.

It was a series of open, underwater caves, seemingly a maze, but the Guide led them with a globe of light in hand, bobbing in the darkness that would have rendered them sightless. Unerringly, he swam to the stairway, they met no other living creature and it only took them an hour. Then they were in the Well Room and drinking from the basin within, recovering from their lengthy swim. Those of them whose first Climb this was had sat and assigned their Attributes and selected their Abilities.

Jerral had looked over them like a proud tutor, a genuine smile creeping onto his features. He wasn't a handsome man, and was in his late forties, but something about that kindly expression was endearing. Sid had glanced at him and he had responded to her unspoken question.

"It's always nice to see a new group of levelers." Sid had merely shrugged, which had caused his eyes to twinkle.

"Though maybe you think it was too easy," he had chuckled. She had looked away at those words, afraid that he would read her like a book.

"Hah. You'd be right, but there's a price for taking the easy way," he had commented. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"What do you mean?" she had asked.

"Without fightin', you won't get fightin' Abilities. Without struggle, there ain't strength," the bodyguard had provided. He was another Climber who was already a Pather.

"Just so," the Guide had agreed. Sid had frowned. The Second Floor took longer, as it was a Survival Floor that took the form of some ancient underwater ruin. When looking over the Doors, the guide had looked excited for a moment, but it had soon turned into a sigh of disappointment. That Floor had been some kind of giant puzzle and took them nearly two days to navigate it. Though that was because Jerral refused to solve the mystery of the ruins for them.

When there was no danger, he was in no rush, but he did start dropping hints on how to 'solve' the 'puzzle' toward the start of the second night. It turned out that some of the carved stone pillars could be moved, and they needed to face a certain way. Once they had discovered that, it wasn't long until they found the right combination and the stairway was revealed. It was only when they reached the Second Well Room and the third selection of Doors was there one with beasts within.

The Guide only took it reluctantly, hemming and hawing the whole while, and after the insistence of Sid, backed up by the cavalier attitudes of the nobles. Though they sought the same outcome, their reasons couldn't be more different. Sid wanted the chance to gain some more useful offerings, while the nobles wanted the exhilaration and 'prestige'. Really, they wanted to be able to boast to their peers that they had boldly hunted down the dangerous beasts of the Spire.

Jerral had eventually agreed, saying that the crabs beyond weren't too tough for even amateurs to handle. Though he did insist on setting camp, sleeping for the night in order to meet the monsters when fully rested. Sid had taken that opportunity to see her first offerings in this Spire and assign her own Attributes. It had been a choice of Passives: Deep Lungs, Keen Sight and Swift Swim. She hadn't been impressed, but it was as she had suspected, without any risk, there was little reward.

Sid ended up selecting the most useful of the Passives in her mind: Keen Sight. It would aid her far more than either of the other two choices. An archer needed to see their target to hit it after all. Though she had little fear of the 'flat crabs', as the Guide called them, Sid had entered the next door warily, bow at the ready. Under Jerral's direction, they were able to ambush a small group of the beasts and easily defeat them.

Sid's air-infused mana arrows had done little to harm the hard shells, only leaving light furrows in the wide, sandy coloured plates. Their eyes, however, had no such protection and were prime for practising her aim. Moving foes had always been hard to hit, but these crabs were predictable, being only able to scuttle sideways. After they had beaten the beasts, Sid was left to strip and scour them for meat and materials.

The rest of the team found the task to be below them, save the bodyguard and servant, who were ordered to help her. The servant grumbled about it, but upon seeing Sid prying the shells open without complaint, he kept his mouth shut. Though they wouldn't deign to get their hands dirty, they were happy enough to partake in the monster meat when it was cooked later over the strange, colourless campfire the Guide had conjured.

Sid hadn't been able to refuse them, not right to their arrogant faces, even if she wanted to. It would have set them against her, more than she already had by simply being gutter-born, as the Lords had mocked behind her back. The third time they had insulted her, the Guide had finally chided them. He appealed to their sense of honour, their noblesse oblige, while also reminding them that, in a Spire, each Climber was equal, save the Captain, of course.

Much of their scorn was staunched, though disdain still simmered just under the surface. Sid knew then, that she couldn't trust her team. None of them had spoken out against her treatment. Though she hadn't expected the nobles' retainers to do so, she had at least hoped that the other two would, being commoners themselves and closer to her low-blood than the vaunted ranks of the high-born. She had been wrong. They were quick to try and curry favour with those petulant, proud nobles. Ms.

Cloudforth, though she was wary of the two Lords, having likely been warned of the ways of young noblemen, was ever polite and compliant. When she wasn't within earshot, they talked of her as if she could be a passing amusement. Good company for the lonely, dull nights of the Climb. They even made a bet of who would bed her first. She had been somewhat responsive to their subtler suggestions, but would blush and excuse herself if either were too brazen.

Although what she heard made her seethe, Sid attempted to ignore the affairs of her team, setting herself apart from them in case her temper got the better of her. Mr. Seastone offered gifts of jewellery to the Lady, or rather, he promised them once they had reached the outside. She had entertained the man amiably, and while that annoyed the two Lords, it didn't infuriate them as much as the obvious attention she paid to the handsome, brooding archer.

An attention that Sid didn't encourage, rejecting any offers the Lady made and only answering her questions with singular, growled words. She was as rude as she could be, given their circumstances, but it didn't deter the woman at all. Sid once raised her voice to have her leave her be. Whitewater had cried. And that performance only made the whole team consider her cruel and aloof, ruining any goodwill she had gained from her clear competence. Too late, she realised that it had been a plot.

And just as it had ever been, everyone sought to use her in some way, take advantage of any opening she had foolishly left unguarded. The gutters had taught her that lesson harshly and she chastised herself for forgetting it so easily. Still, she bore all the ire stoically, relying again on the hard walls and gruff exterior she had grown so used to. While it wasn't pleasant to endure, her pride was worth less to her than her safety. She was glad she had decided to continue to act as a man.

She far preferred the sneers of hatred to leers of lust. Just the thought of them knowing that weakness made her skin crawl, almost made her sweat from that cold, deep fear that had taken root long ago. When she was alone. When they reached the third Well, only Lord Scarford gained their Merfolk strain, while the other two nobles had resigned themselves to Climbing to the Precipice to gain theirs. Then, with barely a rest, they were off to the next Floor, another Survival Floor, then after that a Trap Floor.

Steadily, she grew to know just how toothless the Mer Spire could be. Five floors in, and the crabs still had been the worst of their foes, and they hadn't posed a threat to their well-equipped and overprepared group. This was also when she chose her third and final Passive. The choice was more difficult than the previous, though not by much. She was offered Sure Hands, Light Step and Smooth Skin. Sid had immediately discarded even the thought of Smooth Skin and had weighed the benefits of the other two powers.

Sure Hands would help her archery, but in the end, she had decided upon Light Step. It simply had more synergy with her current Abilities, Wind Step and Fleet, and she hoped that they could become greater than the sum of their parts. She had been right. Sid found she could put more weight on the Wind Step and kick off harder than she could previously, giving her leaps more height. It also helped when she ran, lessening the impact of her feet on loose and unstable ground.

Still, she was annoyed she had to give up Sure Hands for it. Then it was onto the sixth Floor, another harmless Floor. Or at least one that the risk was simply avoided by the skill of their Guide. It was then that she had let some of her irritation show, and she interrogated Jerral, asking him why they weren't hunting beasts and taking their valuable materials. He had replied that "It wasn't what he was contracted to do," and that his task was "To Guide the Lords and Lady to the pinnacle to receive their Strain.

Not to be wasting time and effort fighting beasts and collecting goods."

"Safety and Speed, in that order," he had stated. Sid had wondered why the Nightshark had sent her on such a Climb. Was she trying to limit her potential growth? Was this a scheme to keep her weak? Was she worried that Sid would eventually betray her? It seemed likely. The Nightshark was the controlling, conniving type. The Seventh Floor had been the most interesting of their Climb, or at least the one where Sid got the most practice with her bow and the team could also try out their new Abilities.

It was what the Guide had called a Castle Floor, the goal of which was to find and hold a certain location for a set amount of time or a number of waves of beasts. The 'castle' was a mockery of a port town inhabited by docile man-alikes and they had to defend the docks from ambling, spiked starfish monsters with jagged maws. It had been the first time Sid had seen a man-alike. She found their malformed faces, pale blue-tinted flesh and slimy skin disgusting.

They had lingered in the false streets and misaligned buildings, or had carried empty barrels and crates from one side of the town to the other, uselessly. Worst was the way they didn't defend themselves from the starfish; if one reached them, they'd just let themselves be eaten without a scream or struggle. It was an odd and eerie experience, but there had been little true danger. The monsters were slow and fell easily to her arrows, once she knew to aim for a vulnerability within their toothy mouths, that was.

The Eighth Floor had been another submerged swim, this time through long, thin pipes made of smooth steel. It was frustrating since there was only enough space to swim single file. If you swam too close to the Climber in front of you, you risked getting kicked in the face, which caused many a start and a stop, slowing their journey considerably. It was that floor that Sid had run out of water-breathing potions, even though she had originally brought three.

Thankfully, by the time the last had run out, they were close to the stairway, and when she used her Wind Barrier, it had conjured enough air for her to breathe for those precarious moments. Though her near-drowning had been harrowing, that hadn't been the worst Floor. No, it had been the Ninth, and the peril hadn't been from a beast, or rather, no beast that was born in the Spire. It had been another long, boring Survival Floor. A maze of an above-water coral jungle.

The main concern had been large, lurking barnacle creatures. They were nigh invisible in the pinks and teals of the jungle; they could fling out a ropy tongue that wound drag you onto their barbed shells. Their Guide, however, had no trouble leading them past these monsters. He had some sort of Sense for the things, and that rendered them essentially harmless since they couldn't move from the stones they were stuck to. She remembered it as though it had been yesterday, though it was at least four days hence.

They had set up camp, and Sid was sleeping lightly when something woke her. Whispered protests and the rustle of cloth. She slowly crept from her bedroll and followed the sound. When she could see the source of the noise, she ducked behind a thick trumpet of pink coral. Sid scowled. Lard Ballast was there, but he wasn't alone. He had cornered Ms. Cloudforth, her back was against a tall stone. He was softly speaking into her ear, while his hand roamed over her robe.

The woman was rapidly responding in a whisper; she didn't scream or scold, but she grasped his hand to keep it from caressing her. Sid's blood boiled, but she held onto her reason. She knew she shouldn't interfere with the nobles, and interrupting would earn her a foe she didn't need. Killing wasn't an option either. This wasn't the gutters, she'd be found out by the Guide... and more importantly, with only eight, they would suffer the Spite.

Sid turned the leave, slinking away, wretchedly, when her ears were stabbed by the sound of a "no." Memories, helpless, old and ugly, gnawed. The rustling grew louder, and the Lord growled some threat. There was a thump and some struggle and a whimpered, "Stop." Scarlet in her vision and a storm in her chest, Sid slunk out and drew a dagger. In a crouching run, she charged the Lord's back and stabbed. The beast must have sensed something amiss or seen Sid's approach in Ms.

Cloudforth's teary eyes, because a thin, almost invisible barrier encased him and diverted the blade's point. He spun on her and launched a bolt of water. His aim was wildly off, and he yelled in outrage at the same time his prey shrieked. Sid stabbed again, aiming for his throat. The barrier rejected the blade, then dissipated with a hum. Something snared her dagger arm, stopping another deadly blow. So she kicked him in the knee, bringing him to a kneel, then she punched him in the face with a satisfying crack.

Her ring cut a nice line over his eyebrow. It bled bountifully. There was yelling around her and her other arm was trapped by some magic. She fought the binding and felt it fray, but it held fast.

"You insane bastard. What do you think you are doing!?"

"How dare you!"

"No! Don't hurt him!" The whole team had gathered quickly, and the questions had started to fly.

"The man is rabid, jealous. He saw me simply speaking to Ms. Cloudforth, then viciously assaulted me," Lord Ballast had claimed. Sid could barely speak through the pounding in her ears and the rage that still roared, so her side of the tale came out guttural, easily doubted. Soon, they had all rallied against her, even Ms. Cloudforth, who had corroborated the Lord's lies. That had stung, though Sid understood why she couldn't risk accusing the man of anything untoward.

Not at her station, her name would have been ruined. The Guide had grabbed Sid roughly by the arm and pulled her away, separating her from the team. There, she had calmed down, slowly, and retold her story to Jerral. He had stared at her hard, then sighed, nodding and telling her that he did believe her, but there was nothing to be done. Then he had bade her return to the team with him and make peace. Sid spat, but obeyed all the same. The Lord had received a healing potion while she and the Guide were gone.

Jerral explained the incident away as a mistake, the overeager scuffle of two young men vying for the affection of a beauty. Lord Ballast had sneered, but allowed the excuse, though he did swear that he'd have satisfaction in due time. Sid didn't speak such words, though she thought them, furiously. She found declaring a grudge foolish. It was easier to have vengeance on the ignorant than the wary. Soon enough, the team had left one by one to return to their rest, leaving Sid alone. When Ms.

Cloudforth passed by, Sid heard two whispers.

"Thank you," and "I'm sorry." And so it was that the next had day passed in tense quiet, rife with angry glances and glares filled with challenge. Sid had done her best to ignore them. Now it was the last and Tenth Floor, another survival one, though this had a complication in that they were stuck together on the small confines of a ship. Why the Guide had chosen such a Floor was anyone's guess, but the other two Doors must have been bad to have him pick such an uncomfortable, slow and potentially dangerous Floor.

Sid sighed as her hammock swung slightly with the ship's motions. She stopped recalling the injustice and focused instead on what to do with her Ability Evolution. She had gained it on the eighth Floor, but hadn't known what to do with it then. The rocking grew steadily more intense and the rumble of thunder sounded. Sid closed her eyes and dozed. An hour or two later, her sleep was broken by a mighty yell.

"All hands on deck!"