Breaking Step, Draft 1, CH 08 (Patreon)

The placement of the tents and path, along with the nearly finished buildings, created a space much like that around the transportation platform at the base of the steps leading up to Sto’s open door. Tibs stood with his team, and the two and six other teams, waiting. Nine teams were composed of Runners, the others were noble teams. That left a lot of open space.

Everyone had been surprised when the call to assemble came. No board had been set up where the teams could find out what order they went in. And no new Runners had arrived yet.

Guards had come to the inn and told the Runners to be there at zenith. And almost entirely out of curiosity, Tibs had made sure he was there on time. His friends, and Don, had joined him as part of most of the Runners arriving. The nobles had been more leisurely about their arrival, and it was well past zenith when the last of the team was entirely there.

It was some time more before anything of note happened, other than Sto commenting on the assembly, growing more and more excited at the prospect of the run restarting. When something did happen, it was the positioning of a board next to the bottom step. Plaques with names already hung on it, but Tibs couldn’t make them out. He looked around and saw his curiosity reflected in the others, but no one stepped forward to look that the order.

Just as Tibs’s curiosity grew enough he considered going to see, Tirania walked down the paved path, accompanied by Irdian, two guards, a cleric, and a handful of administrative types that seemed to make out most of the guild. She stepped up to the second step and looked them over. Tibs felt a shift in the essence over the field. It reached further than he could sense.

“Today marks the day when life begins anew for you and Kragle Rock,” she announced, her voice coming from around them. “In a few days, the Omegas will arrive. Reconstruction of the town will begin tomorrow. And today, the first team will start its run.”

The only one to exclaim his excitement was Sto. If the lack of reaction meant something to her, Tirania didn’t show it.

“Because of the part they played in protecting the town, the Team of Heroes will go first.”

Again, if the lack of reaction affected her, she didn’t show it.

Tibs was surprised none of the nobles protested. Maybe she’d learned from the last time and informed them privately, or they’d learned the futility of arguing with the guild leader. Sub-leader? Tibs wasn’t sure how to think of her now that he knew she took someone else’s order.

“Once they are inside, you can consult the board to learn which team will go first tomorrow and on the following days. Because you have earned the guild’s respect with your actions, there will no longer be a need for you to pay to go early. The teams who went in early will be moved to the back when the next schedule will be set.”

Tibs figured it had more to do with no runners bothering paying to go in early than any privilege they had earned. Had the nobles given more than a coin by the end? That was all it took for them to be first. Two, since Don’s team had always come after them.

“As is the practice, each floor is allocated a fixed amount of time to be completed. Four Upsilon teams and Two Rho will go in a day, and are expected to start on the second and third floor, respectively.”

Were there any Upsilon teams? A few Upsilon Runners had survived Sebastian’s revenge, but enough to make full teams? There were no rogues or sorcerers at Upsilon as far as Tibs knew. Quigly’s Rogue and Sorcerers were Rho. Was the team leader’s rank what determined the rank of the team? Was it arbitrary?

Two and six teams meant they’d go in at least once every one and three days. If a few of those were Upsilon, it could be as often as once a week. Jackal was going to be happy with that.

“You are all worthy representative of the guild, and I look forward to the day you all become adventurers.” She stepped down as the two guards and cleric headed up the steps. Irdian left with Tirania. The administrative types gathered around three tables that had been placed next to the board while she spoke. One of them, a short man with blue eyes, seemed surprised when he saw Tibs and his team still there.

“Go,” he said, motioning to the stairs. “What are you waiting for?”

“Yes!” Sto exclaimed. “Ganny, Tibs’s coming in! Wait a minute,” he added as they went up the steps. “Tibs, what he doing with you?”

Tibs didn’t answer. He couldn’t. It was fortunate the ice was already there, because he expected he’d be screaming at Don for keeping him from talking with Sto.

“Ganny, what am I supposed to do? If Don’s part of his team, does that mean he can’t use the room I set up?”

“Maybe he knows what Tibs can do,” she replied.

Tibs glared at the ceiling.

“I think that’s a no,” Sto said. “And Tibs would talk to us if Don knew.”

“That going to be a problem. How is Tibs going to practice his other elements with him around?”

“Maybe I can redo the third floor to force them apart, or at least get Don away. That way, Tibs won’t have to worry.”

“And how long until Don questions what’s going on? He’s one of the smarter Runners.”

“What’s he going to do?” Sto asked. “Tell them I’m targeting him? It’s not like he’s going to tell the guild, since they think I’m some kind of animal. Maybe I can just arrange for him to die.”

“That’s going to take some doing,” she replied. “Setting something up so he’ll die will endanger the whole team.”

“Tibs’ll be fine.”

“And I expect so will Jackal, but what about Mez and Khumdar? You know how Tibs feels about you killing his friends.”

Sto grumbled something Tibs couldn’t make out as the cleric looked them over, finishing by glowering at Don. Who hadn’t even taken down his robe’s hood.

“Are we going directly to the third floor?” Mez asked. “Or clearing out the first two for the loot?”

“We’re starting on the third,” Jackal replied.

“You’re passing on easy loot?” the archer asked.

The fighter stopped before the section of the wall where the doorway to the third floor was, but looked further down the hallway. “You bunch is who insisted I stop being an idiot. The loot’s better on the third floor.” He sighed as he placed a hand on the wall. “And I’m hoping the dungeon’s made its creature extra tough, because I need to hit something really hard.”

* * * * *

Tibs sliced the golem person, then rolled back before it brought down the large hammer where he’d stood. He wanted to ask why a hammer, but as with the previous times he had a question for Sto or Ganny, sensing the Corruption within his team forced his mouth shut.

He stood and shortened the blade as he etched in the air. Straight lines gathered, Alistair had explained during his last practice. When two of them intersected, the essence focused there. The more intersections, the more and quicker the essence gathered, but there came a point where it took longer to etch the lines than the speed gained. It was why the ‘x’ attack only had two lines intersecting. That couldn’t be done wrong by someone still early in their training. If the extra lines didn’t intersect correctly, then it was two points or more, pulling at the essence and diminishing the entire result.

Tibs quickly traced four lines and fed the essence into them before stabbing the center. The jet of water threw the golem person into a wall hard enough it died, melting away as it slid to the floor.

Alistair had showed him how to add to those lines, other lines and loops, and ways to have the touch to add effects, but he hadn’t had the chance to practice them while being attacked.

The clang of metal against stone made Tibs turn in time to watch Jackal rub his jaw.

“No bad,” He said, blocking the next punch, “But you’re going to have to learn to hit a lot harder.” His punch caved in the metal helmet. “If you want to put me down.” He slammed a fist down on its head and the golem fighter dropped to the floor.

“I thought you’d made that one harder and stronger,” Ganny said, “after how easily he dealt with the Gnolls in the last fight.”

“I did. That hit should have knocked Jackal off his feet. He wasn’t even anchored. Tibs, what’s going on with him?”

“He—” Tibs clamped his mouth shut, glancing at the sorcerer. Don had stayed at the back with Mez, but he’d helped, just as he had in the previous fights. Silently and with precision. Tibs didn’t have the attention to spare to sense the details of what Don did, but the lance of corruption was visible as the air darkened on the way to strike his target. The spot hit immediately turned dark, and in a real person, Tibs expected the pain alone would bring them down. On a golem person, it had to spread until the limb melted off.

Don didn’t boast about how effective his attacks were. He didn’t argue with Jackal’s instructions, or mock Tibs when he’d missed a trigger and they had to redo a hall to open the right wall. Don had said nothing from the moment they’d gathered for Tirania’s announcement. The silence was the oddest thing. While fighting Sebastian, Don had always had something to say, a comment to make, a mockery to throw. The man was full of himself, and during those times had no problem letting everyone know.

Now, it was as if all that had leaked out of him and left… Tibs had no idea who Don was without the ego.

“How is everyone?” Jackal asked.

“Good,” Mez replied. Don nodded.

“I have been better,” Khumdar said, holding his arm against his chest. “The dungeon took your challenge to heart, and I am the one suffering for it.”

“Tibs, can you—” Jackal closed his mouth. Tibs wasn’t the only one forced to watch what he said. His friend had all grown comfortable with what Tibs could do, and the dungeon had been the one place where they didn’t have to worry about what they asked him to do.

“I have one of the healing potions in my pack,” Mez said. “I’m guessing this is a time worth using it?”

Jackal nodded. “We all need to be in top shape for that room.” He motioned to the crest at the end of the hall. Once Tibs put the pieces back in their correct order, it would be the lion, which meant that on the other side was the game of Conquest.

Tibs didn’t know if Sto was compensating for his inability to heal his friends, or if he’d never paid attention to how many potions they got out of the loot, but they had come across enough that any times one of them had been badly injured, they’d had a potion available.

Putting the squares in the right order went quickly, then the door slid open, revealing the room and the five golem persons placed on the board. As before, they were in different position, which meant Jackal or Khumdar would need to come up with a new strategy.

“Alright,” Jackal said. “How about you tell us where we should go, Don?”