Sandra strode down the street with firm steps, her arms pumping and her eyes on the tower ahead. "It's really time," she said mostly to herself, a giddy smile on her face, and a new stone bouncing on her visible guildchain.
"Just so we're clear." Garble elbowed her from the side. "That doesn't make you in charge."
"I know! I know… It was stupid." She looked to his chain, which also had a new stone, but the guild had only raised the dragons by one step, while granting Sandra three, claiming she had brought a 'rare new class'. "Really stupid. I know I was… just as dumb, at first."
Spike shook his head. "They weren't exactly subtle. They only gave you such a big jump so you'd be over us. I bet they think they're doing you some kind of favor."
Sandra rolled her eyes with a long suffering grunt. "That kind of help I could do without. We're a team. You're all amazing. I'm happy that I'll be able to help, at your side, not as your boss. You know that, right?"
Smolder swatted her human teammate on the back. "Relax. Garble's just beating his chest, one of his favorite things to do sometimes."
"Hey."
"Calling it like I see it." She shot imaginary guns at her brother. "We're a team. What stupid rock they put on the chain doesn't mean a thing when we're facing things that want to chomp us for lunch." She licked over her snout. "They don't understand that's my job."
Spike rushed ahead to the gate that separated the city from the area immediately by the tower. "Hey, we're qualified." He held up his chain in clear view. "All of us. We can go in now, right?"
The guard held out a hand until Spike flew in close enough for him to draw it in close for inspection, keeping Spike hovering uncomfortably close by. "Looks proper," he admitted after an awkward moment. "Next."
Sandra flashed her chain, looking ready to step up as Spike did, but he waved her past. Garbe moved to follow her with a smirk, just for a glowing spear to come down in his way.
"Chain?" the guard demanded flatly as if bored.
Garble rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" He held his up and the guard started to reach for it. Garble yanked it back. "You know a chain when you see one. I'm going past now."
Smolder pulled her lips back, exposing sharp teeth. "If you're lucky, we'll be devoured by random tower monsters. Mmm, you wouldn't want to keep us away from that, would you?"
The guard snorted softly. "Ensuring you have the proper stone is how we keep you safe. If you want to kill yourself, fine." He raised his spear, allowing their progress.
The siblings marched past him, eyes forward and frowns on their faces. As soon as they were out of conversational distance with the gate, Garble shoved Smolder. "Did you catch that? Sucks to be a demi-human around here."
"Good thing we aren't one." She cocked a brow. "Not that anyone knows the difference between one and a dragon, so, eh." She lifted her shoulders. "It's time to get serious." She hiked a thumb at the tower they were approaching. "Sandra, got any info you want to share about this place? You haven't been in there yourself, right?"
Sandra looked up at the tower above. “I… well… what the tower is is pretty mysterious. Nobody knows what it… or the other towers that are in the world are here for. We know that they are huge collections of magic and thus have tons of powerful monsters, and powerful items, and probably even classes and stuff.
“But that goes with… nobody exactly knowing what is in the tower. But, the important part is--”
“That the tower grants a wish to whomever can climb it!” Spike said, marching ahead of the group.
“There’s… one more thing, real quick,” Sandra said.
Spike looked back, fiddling with his shield, but said nothing.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but we… will have to turn back sooner or later.” Sandra grimaced a little. “Not that we’re not getting to the top, it’s just gonna take more than one trip.”
“So what?” Spike said. “I mean, I figured we’d take a little time for it…”
“I’m just saying to… manage expectations, you know. We won’t get all the way up today.”
“Oh, I get it,” Garble said, his hand gripping his brand new blade, a large curved sword which was neither worn on his back or side, but slung over his shoulder from a strap, hanging down. “Sandra is worried we can’t handle the tower, even after all the training and new classes.”
“No! It’s not that.” She fanned her hands wildly.
He drew the sword from its sheath, which was a two handed process which involved taking the strap off of his shoulder, even, holding up the massive, if somewhat simple blade above his head. “Now now, poor limited human girl. You are with the three most mythological creatures that exist in this world, even if one of them’s a namby pamby. We sped through the former process, and are gonna do stuff that you only wish you could do without us.” He pointed the sword forward. “Onward!”
Smolder and Spike cheered, and took off a bit more quickly toward the tower. Sandra looked at them and smiled weakly. It was heartening to see them so enthusiastic, but she looked up at the tower, so tall they couldn’t see the top. So tall stories of people reaching the top were more legend than stories.
But she needed to get to the top too, right? That was why she came to this town after all. So realistic or not, she had to do it, and she snorted to herself and steeled her attitude and headed after them.
As Garble reached the towering stone doors, his chain began to glow. The door replied in kind, strange runes emerging and glimmering in wild patterns that ran along its edge. With a low thrum of stone against stone, it began to open inwards into the dark beyond.
A man bowed towards them. That man had not been there moments before. Garbed in robes with a beard far too long for most, he raised his hands together, fingers pressed together except the middle fingers that folded over the opposing hand. "Go, Seekers. You will surely find, but is it what you wish?"
Garble ignored the man as if he hadn't even heard him. Smolder wasn't as quick to dismiss the sudden human, peering at him but keeping up with Garble.
Spike was the first to approach the stranger. "Hey, uh, who are you?"
"Death, or victory? A new life, perhaps? Many are the things found here, but none leave empty handed."
"Do you have a name?"
The man smiled at Spike. "Reach the tenth floor and I will answer that." And he was gone, blown away as if made of sand, the gust from nowhere carrying the flecks away.
"O… kay." Spike turned in the air, still hovering. "I wasn't the only one to see that, right?"
"We're leaving you behind," called Garble from up ahead. "Catch up, Mister Lord. You're supposed to be in front now, ain'tcha?"
Spike hopped up forward, catching up to them as he entered the tremendous doors and stepped into the massive entryway. Natural light filtered through what appeared to be stained glass windows, and there were columns with ornate bases and capitals, which looked like carvings of guildchain insignias. Spike thought he saw the vitamancer, even, but it was not nearby. Everything was intricate and ornate, nothing looked worn down or old or even heavily used, as this is the room everyone would go into.
Hanging over the door at the far end of this hallway were letters. This door was made of wood, of fine touches and almost delicate compared to the stone face they had just passed. The words read, "Go boldly and claim success. Go meekly and join the rest." They were large enough to read at the distance they were working to close.
Garble hiked a thumb forward at it. "They're warning the weaklings to go home. Anyone having second thoughts?" Surely not him, as he continued forward without pause.
Sandra's eyes wandered from one class insignia to the next, her feet moving on auto pilot as she gaped. "It's... amazing, but it's not all of them." She reached for her chain, holding it up. "Where's this one?" Her newly forged class was not there, at least none of them saw it.
Spike landed briefly on a column, clinging to it. "Found mine. Guess this is a classic." He launched free of it, soaring to just in front of Garble and touching the ground in a speed-waddle. "What I wanna know is who made this place? The same people who made the rest of the tower?"
Smolder lifted her shoulders. "Search me, but it'd make sense, right? Hey, Sandra, who did make this tower?"
"Does it matter?" spat Garble. "It's time to fight. We can chit-chat about that when we're back out." He nudged his head towards the door. "Go on, Spike. Open it."
"Wait, what?" He toddled up to the massive wooden doors. They did not open as automatically as the stone ones had. "These are huge." Still, he put a hand on it and tried pushing, then the other hand came in, grunting and heaving. "Come on, give a... hand."
"Let me show you how it's done." Garble slung his sword and approached in several large strides. He tried to shove the door open, but it did not obey, and soon he was also pushing, grunting and frowning all the more with every attempt.
Smolder hurried up. "Is there a trick to it?" She looked around, trying to spot the secret that would cause it to open.
"I think we just need to do it together." Sandra let out a slow breath as she advanced. "They mentioned something offhand, the... other party. Together." She put her hands on the door. "You too, Smolder."
"Can't hurt." Smolder put both of her hands on the door, not pushing, simply resting her hands on the wood.
A great shudder rumbled through their feet. The doors began to open inward, revealing darkness. In the gloom, red glowing eyes began to open, dozens on dozens of them. It seemed their welcoming party was already assembled, but they did not advance on them.
Garble huffed, smoke escaping. "I loosened it for you."
Sandra took a quivering breath. "Aiden, I think it's time." With a flare of fire, her owl appeared, perching on her shoulder. "I don't think they'll come into the entryway, but the moment we step in..." She didn't finish the thought, but there was hardly any need to.
Spike lifted his shoulders. "So why don't we blast them from here?" He drew his staff from his back just as Garble drew his. "Take this!" Spike's staff glowed faintly, then went out. "Well, that didn't work."
Smolder smirked softly. "Nice try, Spike, but I guess that's cheating. They can't come to us, and we can't pick them off from here." With a twirl of her suddenly drawn knives, she assumed a battle stance. "We fight, right from the start."
"Sounds good." Garble leveled his blade, taking a slow breath. "We take the first step, let loose the first blood," he began to speak melodically, stepping in time with the syllables. "We cave the first skull. Nothing will stop us."
"That doesn't rhyme," noted Spike, but he moved on despite his disapproval. They all did. The door closed with deceptive speed behind them, slamming shut. The great smash of wood against wood seemed to be a signal, because they came. Emerging from the gloom, spiders with fangs of dripping crystal scuttled towards them. The struggle to ascend had properly begun.