Chương 232: Arc 4 - Chapter 34

"Come on, we're not done yet," Fritz stated, standing up despite his strained muscles.

"There's still the Well and our Precipice chests to claim." He turned and Climbed the steps. The crew slowly dragged themselves up, groaning, then followed in Fritz's wake. The stairway was tall, and it took far longer than it should have to ascend. One last cruelty from the Spire.

"I beat you," Fritz muttered.

"Twice," he gloated. Perhaps he shouldn't have, but he revelled in the vicious pleasure that came from thwarting this foe. The glee didn't last. His body ached too much for that, and his head swam from weariness. He lumbered up step after step, then finally set foot upon the precipice. At a glance, the room had changed little from before, though on further inspection the truth was obvious. The precipice was the very same one Fritz had reached on his first Climb.

Pillars of blue-green crystal glowed with an inner light that flickered and throbbed, and in the centre of the room was a misshapen orb, radiant in the eerie hues of Eldritch Flame. The walls were clear glass, allowing a view of the dark lake below. Fritz ignored the sights for now, dropping his pack and sacks, then striding to the Well. As he did so, the large orb swelled with gold power, then blazed for a whole three seconds before dimming. A Golden Climb.

Fritz stared in wonder for a moment before he remembered that this was Clover's very first time in this Spire. He turned slightly to smile at her.

"Congratulations."

"Was all that light just for me?" she croaked.

"Must be," Mel said.

"I'm surprised it wasn't silver, since the rest of us have been in this Spire before," Reed said.

"I suspect it only signals the greatest rewards," Fritz theorised.

"Unfortunately, that means that whomever is on watch will know." And just as he said so, he saw a vague, brown-coated figure on the stony cliff outside scurry away.

"Damn," Toby said.

"I thought we could pull some kind of scheme to hide that fact."

"Alas, impossible," Fritz said.

"Nevermind that, though, I require healing." The talk ceased, and he limped over to the Well; some followed, just as sluggish as he, and others raced ahead of him. At a touch, the power within the orb flowed into his hand and up his arm, pouring into his Sanctum and restoring him. Then a chest coalesced at his feet. Wood banded with wood, the sigil of the Spire emblazoned on its lid. Fritz sighed, sat, then opened the small chest. Upon seeing the meagre reward, he smiled despondently.

He counted thirty gold triads, a pittance for the peril he'd survived, and saw that it contained no seed or any other reward. The Spires were not generous to those that Climbed them more than once. Fritz had known this, but was still left disappointed and as bitter as ill-brewed tea. The rest of the crew were awarded much better than he. Once they had fallen into their Sanctums and made their selections, their own chests had manifested with scintillating splendour. Mel cackled as she opened her silver chest.

When Clover saw what her Golden Chest had within she grinned so wide that Fritz was afraid her face would split. Toby was more reserved, peering over the triads with a self-satisfied smile. Trudge merely gawked while Reed ran his fingers through the gold.

"We're rich!" Clover said.

"How much do you think is in here?"

"The golden chest should have ninety triads, mine did," Fritz replied.

"I'm not too sure about the silver chests, though."

"Looks to be about sixty gold, all told," Toby said.

"That and the silver Seed."

"A silver seed?" Fritz asked.

"How does that work? I've only ever received a golden one."

"Ooo-la-la, Mr-Lord Golden-Climb don't know what us lesser Climbers get," Mel said, rolling her eyes.

"It's about the same, but you only have three choices instead of all the offerings you didn't pick," Toby provided, glancing darkly at the woman.

"Then what do bronze seeds give?" Clover asked.

"I heard they just have a random power you were offered that you didn't choose," Reed said.

"It's a gamble to use it, unless it's appraised."

"Do you think we'll be allowed to keep our Seeds?" Clover asked, clutching the golden oval to her chest.

"I don't know," Fritz said.

"I haven't thought much on what we'll be allowed to keep. Nic said two-thirds, but what does that really mean?" He could feel the anger brewing within him and his brow furrowing, so he decided to change the subject. Something to take his mind off the injustice and indignity of being shaken down.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough. For now, there are other matters that we must speak of."

"Must we?" Toby asked, spinning one of his knives disinterestedly. Fritz considered. He had intended to invite each of the crew to the Refuge, though now thought that it might be best to approach each individually rather than as a group. They deserved as much. And a personal invitation from himself would be more persuasive.

"I suppose not," he said.

"Forget that last order. Rather, rest and be merry."

"Too tired to be merry right now," Mel yawned.

"What? After all we've achieved, after all we've suffered and conquered, you can't muster even a mote of glee? Can you not be joyous?"

"I'm bloody joyous, alright, but that last Floor has me weary to my littlest bones," she said.

"As they say, even my toes are tired."

"Who says that? I never heard that," Clover said, frowning.

"Shut up," Mel spat.

"You shut up," Clover retorted.

"Make me." Clover scowled.

"Uhhh, please don't fight," Trudge said, shifting on his feet when the women's glares were pointed his way.

"There's no need for it," he added quietly.

"Quite right," Fritz agreed.

"We should be triumphant, not bickering or biting at each other's backs." The two pairs of angry eyes alighted on him next, but they softened quickly when he smiled a most charming smile. That sparked some lights the shade of annoyance over the heads of Toby and Trudge. He dismissed their envy and said, "Let's eat, we still have some of that lizard meat, don't we?"

"We do," Reed replied.

"Then hand it out," Fritz said. The previously cooked cuts were dispensed with all due haste, and they ate as much as they pleased. Which wasn't much, truth be told, the meat was far less appetising when cold. Fritz wished that they had something more fortifying to drink than water, a bottle of wine to toast their success would had proven a well-earned reward, but they made do. Once stomachs were full or they'd simply had enough, weariness fell upon them. It smothered them like a blanket, and yawns abounded.

"We should get going," Reed said thickly. Trudge and Toby nodded.

"Yeah, once we're out, I can rent a room to sleep in," Mel said.

"One with a bed," she added, remembering her silver-banded chest and clutching it close.

"A bed sounds nice," Clover agreed.

"That and a proper bath. A hot one."

"Hot," Mel repeated in a stupor. Then she yawned. As much as Fritz wanted to leave himself, there were still a few matters to be discussed. And the Treasures needed to be split more appropriately. That, and in their bleary states, he was afraid, or rather, certain, that they'd be cheated by the Nightshark. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It was best to fight that foe when fully awake.

And so, just as the crew were starting to stand and pick up their packs, Fritz interrupted them.

"Hold," he ordered.

"What? What's wrong?" Mel asked.

"Nothing's wrong. It has just come to my attention that perhaps we should strive to be in proper condition to negotiate," Fritz supplied.

"Negotiate?" Reed asked.

"Yes, with the boss, or their representative," Fritz said.

"What?" Mel asked again.

"If we have to part with a third of our haul, then we should do so when we have our senses about us," Fritz espoused.

"Right," Mel said, nodding slowly.

"I guess so," Reed sluggishly agreed.

"Do you want us to sleep a bit before we go then?"

"Do not get me wrong. I do not desire to stay," Fritz professed.

"But some sleep would benefit us all for what's to come. And, I'm not keen to brave that cold lake while I am wearied so." There were some grimaces at the mention of those eerie waters.

"We also have many burdens that must be dragged up to the boat," he continued, gesturing to the glass walls and the small vessel that could be seen rocking gently on the still surface of the lake.

"Are you prepared for that last struggle?"

"Damn! I'd forgotten about the bloody lake," Mel seethed.

"Me too," Reed said.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fancy a swim," Fritz said.

"Not right now."

"Alright, alright, we get it," Toby grumbled. The man was crestfallen; he most of all was eager to leave. Fritz couldn't blame him. The rest of the crew agreed less reluctantly, while they, too, wanted to be free of the Spire; another few hours meant little to them. And so they lay out their bedrolls and slept as well as they could. They awoke mostly refreshed. Fritz himself found only a few hours of real rest. His dreams were vivid and vicious, his well-buried worries cutting him as he tossed and turned.

Still, even a few hours of sleep were better than none. While the crew prepared to leave, Fritz went to each of them, save Toby. He asked each in turn about their plans for the days ahead. Reed had shrugged, Trudge had mumbled that he might reunite with his brother, and Mel sighed and shook her head, undecided. Clover was the only one who had a plan that she voiced clearly.

"I'm gonna return to the Refuge. Join up with Sid, just like you said I should." Fritz nodded at that, smiling.

"You can do a lot of good there."

"Yeah, now that I'm a real Healer, I can help so many people," she said.

"What?" Fritz asked.

"Oh... yeah... I got a Healing Trait. Revitalise," Clover said, a proud smile blooming.

"It's a boon that gives Vitality and Endurance." Fritz's stomach dropped, and he kept his smile steady. Something must have shown in his eyes because her face fell, and she asked.

"What? Is that bad?"

"Bad?" Fritz asked, chuckling.

"Nothing of the sort. Healers are rare, precious, and well respected. Congratulations." Her smile thankfully returned.

"Really!? A Healer?" Trudge blurted, drawing the attention of the crew.

"Hahaha, really?" Mel laughed. It had a spiteful note. Reed looked on with concern, and Toby's face was blank.

"What's so funny?" Clover hissed.

"Hah, think about it for a second, would you?" Mel said scathingly.

"The boss loves their Healers. So much so that she never lets them go. Isn't that right, Blades?" Toby's face remained stony, but he nodded once.

"Oh," Clover said, the realisation of her plight causing her to slouch. Fritz laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It will be fine, she treats her Healers well. And I'm sure you'll be able to negotiate some concessions." Clover nodded numbly.

"You'll be paid a lot, too," Trudge added.

"She sure will be, but I'd rather have freedom myself," Mel said, smirking. Fritz didn't know what Clover had done to earn the woman's animosity. Though he suspected it was just one of Mel's moods. She had a tendency to swing from mean to maliciously merry to mercilessly melancholy in mere moments. Fritz saw that play out here, too. The woman's smirk fell away, "What am I sayin'. I ain't free either. No one is. Sorry, Clover."

"It's okay," Clover replied quietly.

"You're right, we're not free," Fritz agreed.

"Though we can work towards it."

"Sure thing, Milord," Mel scoffed. Though the implication that he didn't suffer burned Fritz, he didn't let it show. She was ignorant of his path, what he'd endured to grasp even a scrap of what he was rightfully owed. Mel could never understand. None of the crew could. They were born as nothings, not lords. Fritz could feel a cold sneer crawling its way from his chest to his face, then his mind and spirit swiftly strangled it. Perhaps, it was he who would never truly understand them, not the other way around.

And so, he pushed away that foolish rage and smiled.

"Have you determined what you'll do yet?" he asked. Mel sighed.

"I guess I'll stick around at the Refuge. Sid's not so bad. He's mad, but he helps the weak and keeps evil bastards away from his territory." She went silent and gave it another few moments of thought.

"Yeah. I think I'll help him."

"Good," Fritz said.

"What about you, Reed? Trudge?"

"I know all about the Refuge. I won't be welcome," Reed stated with a wan, weary smile.

"You may not remember, or may not have seen me, but I was in one of the gangs that surrounded it. I hurt those going in and out of it." Fritz could see the regret both in the man's face and in the motes around him.

"I won't make excuses. I was there, and I robbed and attacked the Refuge," Reed continued, his words carrying a resolute edge.

"Yes, that would make it difficult, though not impossible to join," Fritz said.

"I'll talk to Sid. He'll listen to me." Reed appeared conflicted, but nodded once.

"Thanks. I'd like to make amends."

"That will be easy enough," Fritz said, surely.

"The Refuge is a place of compassion, after all." Reed smiled at that.

"Can I join too?" Trudge asked.

"Of course," Fritz said.

"Can I bring my brother?"

"I don't see why not," Fritz said.

"The more Climbers there are, the stronger and safer the place will be."

"While that's mostly true, you're missing something, Fritz," Toby interjected. Fritz raised an eyebrow.

"And what's that?"

"The boss," Toby stated.

"They won't let you raise an army right under their nose."

"I'm not raising an army, merely gathering the like-minded to a common cause," Fritz protested.

"Don't be a fool," Toby argued.

"You know as well as I do that you're grasping for more power. And the boss will see the same." Fritz grimaced. The man was right.

"Sid should also be careful," Toby continued.

"The Cutter says that he's already pushing the boundaries of the boss's tolerance."

"The Cutter is a liar," Fritz responded reflexively.

"He is, but not about this. He was gleeful, Fritz," Toby said.

"You know that can't be any good." Fritz nodded slowly, then sighed. He'd have to warn Sylvia, and he couldn't send all these Climbers to her. Not without drawing more attention to her and himself in turn. They both couldn't afford closer scrutiny.

"Mr. Blades is quite correct. You can't all go to the Refuge as I had hoped," he said, then he posed a question.

"What do you say to forming your own gangs? Ones not so obviously aligned with Sid or I? So long as you treat those in your territory well and aid us in small ways, we'll also lend you support. Be it in gold, goods or the edges of our blades." Doubt, fear and countless mingled worries danced over their heads. For a moment, Fritz thought he'd have to convince each of them to follow his plan, laying all his powers of persuasion to bare. He opened his mouth to speak all kinds of reassurances, but was interrupted.

"What are you askin' of us? Just what kind of 'aid' do you want?" Mel asked suspiciously.

"Nothing too onerous," he claimed.

"Simple things. Sharing or spreading rumours, truces between our territories. A quiet peace."

"That does sound simple," Reed said.

"What's the catch?"

"The catch is that we'll all be in his boat," Mel said.

"He sinks, we all sink. And if we help him, we'll be suspected of being his friends."

"You are my friends, aren't you?" Fritz said, affecting a tone of hurt.

"I am," Clover said quickly.

"Yeah, me too," Trudge agreed, nodding eagerly.

"I suppose so," Reed said.

"Maybe," Mel mumbled.

"The boss will suspect you all anyway," Fritz stated.

"So we should stay at a distance on the outside, but we can still aid each other in secret. Be careful, though, the Nightshark has many eyes." A chill blossomed on his chest, a warning from the black fang put there. He decided to say no more. The crew deliberated for some minutes, each grim and guarded. Eventually, the tense silence ended, broken by a resigned sigh.

"I'll help you where I can," Mel said, standing and dusting off her legs.

"But don't ask me to oppose the boss."

"I don't expect you to," Fritz said.

"Alright then, it's a deal," she accepted.

"I'll do the same then," Reed offered, holding out his hand. Fritz shook it.

"Good man."

"I don't know if I'll start my own gang," Trudge said.

"But I'll help." Fritz clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. Clover and Toby remained silent. Their reasons were easy to guess. The revelation that Clover was a Healer would have her taken by The Nightshark. She would have no say in who and how she served. An unfortunate misstep, though not one the woman should regret. She'd be safe and well cared for. Perhaps even showered with luxuries if she ingratiated herself cunningly.

Toby, on the other hand, already helped in his own way and didn't need to proclaim his loyalty. With their paths decided, there was only one thing left to do. Walk. Or rather, swim. Fritz stared out past the glass walls and down on the still surface of the lake below.

"It's settled then," he said.

"Time to leave."

"What about splitting the Treasures and gold?" Toby asked, sheathing a dagger smoothly.

"We'll see to that after we've been 'taxed'," Fritz said.

"Right, yeah. Nearly forgot that," Mel said.

"Should we try and hide stuff?" Fritz shrugged.

"I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Nor am I sure that we would succeed."

"I have my ways," she said, surreptitiously removing her ruby ring.

"I'm sure you do," Fritz said, keeping an eye on the woman.

"We'll see how they will search us. I suspect it will be more thorough than the last time." Mel spat and grumbled. Commiserating, Fritz smiled. They made to leave, packing away their things and securing their Treasures and sacks.

"Drink any water-breathing potions you may have," Fritz ordered.

"The boat may not be able to hold all our weight, and you might have to wait on the lake floor. Oh, and Clover, give me the ghost staff." She hesitated for only a moment before handing it over. Holding it lightly, Fritz motioned for the crew to leave.

"Go on. I'll be right behind." They looked at him with some exasperated suspicion, but not one of them challenged him. Instead, they drank down their potions and set off down the stairs. Smiling pointedly at Clover, who lingered the longest, he watched them all leave the Spire. He sighed, then stared at the staff. Fritz wanted to sneak the Treasure out somehow, but couldn't think a way to do so. He doubted the shark trick would work twice, not while there were lookouts.

If he were to bring the potent Treasure out of the Spire, The Nightshark would definitely claim it. A dreadful thought, considering her powers as a beast-master. Just how deadly would she be with a ghost in her horde of monsters? He'd already handed her an aberrant eel, which he regretted. He couldn't countenance allowing her another such terror. The same could also be said for the deathly Seed sitting in his pack.

Fritz was not willing to risk giving such powers to his enslaver, though he also didn't want to destroy them. He decided, then, to leave them behind at the Precipice. While he doubted he'd ever see them again, it was better than letting The Nightshark have them. And there was a hope, however slim, that they might remain there and could be reclaimed. That hope was born from a hunch.

The fact that the room was identical to the one he'd entered on his first Climb led him to wonder if he could store things here for a time. If not, then it was no great loss. If so, well, that would be interesting indeed. He set the staff and the aberrant ghost's seed in a secluded corner, hidden between the glowing pillars. It was enough to keep them from the sight of those first entering and those in the centre, but it wouldn't fool anyone performing a wider search. It would have to do.

It was either this or destroying the things, which was a waste, something anathema to Fritz. With a sigh and a shake of the head, he walked to his pack, shouldered it, then strode to the stairway.

"Until we meet again, and I best you a third time," he bade the Spire before stepping on the cold steps and descending. The trip to the cliff shore was quick, but as Fritz had guessed, they couldn't transport all their well-earned wealth on the boat without risking a capsize or a slow sinking. And so it took almost four whole rides and returns to haul all they had found onto the stony shelf. The lookouts weren't much help.

Though there were two of them, they were only levelers and they gawked at the sheer amount of sacks filled with gold and other, more esoteric, materials.

"Found a lot, hey, Shade?" one scarred man had asked. The other had hissed a warning at the overly-friendly question.

"Quite," Fritz had replied with a tilt of his head. The man was going to ask something further, but was interrupted by a figure with a slouching stride.

"Nic, well met," Fritz greeted.

"Well met!? You interrupted my drink," Nic growled, glaring.

"It's my birthday, you know." Fritz smiled politely, then said, "No it's not, you lying sack of skulg suckers." Nic narrowed his eyes, staring hard for another few moments before breaking out in a grin.

"No, it's not, you got me, just like you got a lot of stuff here. Anything good?"

"Plenty," Trudge said.

"Yeah, lots," Mel added.

"Good... good," he hoarsely praised.

"Pick it all up and let's get going."

"Going where?" Reed asked.

"To the appraiser," Nic said.

"Appraiser?" Fritz asked.

"Yeah, let's go meet Jerry the fence."