by J. T. Wright
“Best to be sure,” Trent said tossing the empty vial aside.
“What happens when one of us gets hurt again, and we need that half vial?”
“This doesn’t happen again.” Trent folded Kerry’s arms over his chest and slapped a hand against the sleeping Warrior’s breastplate. “We all get better and make sure it doesn’t. Watch him. Dreq too. I'll Harvest and collect the drops."
“Can’t we let them go?” Felicia found a hint of exasperation again as she released her shield to call after Trent.
“No!” Trent answered, his knife plunging into a corpse to remove a Beast Core. “We've tempted fate already. You can never tell when an insignificant thing can turn the tide.”
“Like the wooden spoon?” She said sarcastically.
“Exactly!” Trent replied. She couldn’t see his face, and he kept working as he spoke, but she could hear the beaming smile in his voice. A smile that faded quickly as the spoon he had thrown at Kerry was brought to mind.
“Did you pick it up? Did Kerry?” Trent asked nervously. “I think we left it behind.”
“Kerry has it, I think,” Felicia lied shamelessly, crawling over to where Dreq slept atop a slain bug. She lifted the Dog and awkwardly lugged him back to where Kerry slept.
“That’s good.” The relief in Trent’s voice made a hint of remorse creep into Felicia. “We'll need it if we come across more moss.”
Felicia murmured noncommittally, her soft leather shoes slapping together as she fidgeted and pet Dreq. She lasted a full five minutes before claiming she needed a moment of privacy. She rushed back the short distance to the Safe Zone. She felt like the biggest fool in the world, picking up the forgotten spoon and tucking it into her pocket.
There was no telling what level of idiocy she sank to when she returned. Using a small carving knife, she finished the rough work Trent had started on the implement. She went as far as casting Smooth and Harden on the ruined spoon before shoving it in Kerry’s satchel.
Once the spoon was out of sight again, she tried to put the incident out of her mind as she began to seriously study Firebolt. She made little progress on the tier-one Spell, however. With her feet tapping together, she imagined the pleased expression on Trent’s face when he discovered the improved scraping tool. It would be a shame if there was no more cave moss to be found on this floor.
**********
“Is the ceiling getting higher?” Kerry asked, stretching his right arm above his head ,hoping to smack the stone above with his club.
“Yes,” Trent said, coming to a halt. “A lot higher. Can you climb in your armor?”
“Why would I need to… oh.” Kerry’s eyes dropped from the ceiling to the tunnel ahead to see the answer to his question.
The roof of the corridor had abruptly shot skyward, and the level floor turned into a series of ascending ledges. Resembling a staircase meant for giants, each step stretched several feet taller than any of the party members. The stone of the ledges was smooth and slick, defying any to find a handhold.
“I can climb a little, short walls, fences maybe, but that?” Kerry shook his head. “No way.”
“I think I could reach the edge if I stood on someone’s shoulders." Felicia crossed to the stone wall and rubbed her hand against it. “Pulling myself up might be a problem though. It’s slippery.”
Any further conversation was interrupted with the sudden boom of stone crashing down. a slab had dropped, sealing the way back. The four companions who had gathered close to the latest obstacle turned, dread on their faces, in time to watch water start drizzling down the wall behind them. Within seconds the drizzle became a stream, and a waterfall formed. The liquid spread across the floor, quickly reaching their feet.
Trent bent and interlaced his fingers. “You first, Felicia. Kerry, get your armor off!”
“I don’t think there’s time for this!” Felicia steadied herself by placing a hand on Trent’s shoulder and lifting a foot into his cupped hands. She looked towards the waterfall, which continued to grow and threatened to become a raging torrent. “The Return Scrolls—"
“Push off as hard as you can!” Trent had to shout to be heard, and Felicia’s head snapped back towards him. He hefted her foot impatiently, discouraging any arguments. The muscles in her leg tensed as she thrust herself up, extending her arms to reach towards the ledge.
It was a useless gesture. She rose up onto the tips of her toes, and Trent straightened with her, not lifting her gently, but throwing her upward. A startled scream broke from her lips as she went past the ledge and came back down. Her ribs struck the edge, and her feet slapped against the wall. She felt herself sliding backward and, ignoring the lack of air in her lungs, began scrabbling at the smooth stone.
She hung there for a moment, wondering how many ribs she had broken and what this ridiculous maneuver had gained them. Kerry was twice her weight, if not more. There was no way Trent would be able to throw him up here, and while she had stopped herself from sliding back, she didn’t think she could pull herself up.
Felicia had screamed when flying up. Kerry squawked as he came down as hard as she had. Trent had learned from the first throw and adjusted the angle. Kerry landed on his stomach, all but his feet safely on the ledge. Felicia noted he had managed to remove his upper armor, but from the waist down Kerry was still covered in iron. Trent was stronger than he looked.
There remained the problem of how they were going to get Trent up. The ledge was at least ten feet high. Dreq could be thrown, Felicia supposed, but they had no rope or…
Trent’s knees flexed, and he turned his momentum into a forward roll as he made the impossible leap with Dreq tucked under one arm. Setting the Dog down, Trent grabbed Felicia’s hands and pulled her to her feet.
“Sorry about that. Not my best throw. I'll get it right next time,” Trent shouted an apology to her as he helped Kerry up and urged them forward. They reached the next ledge before Felicia could count how many of the steps towered over them. Her ribs were screaming complaints, and the rest of her bones ached as they realized they would soon receive the same treatment.
Trent did not allow for any delays. The trickle that had become a stream was now a flood. The room containing the steps was wide, but at the rate the water was flowing, it wouldn’t take long before it caught up.
“It’s just water, right?” Kerry watched as Felicia was tossed into the air again and flinched as she came back down. He pressed a sympathetic hand to his chest. “Can’t we just tread water until it stops?”
“I can’t swim.” Trent squatted down, cupping his hands. “And we don’t know when it will stop. Come on!”
Kerry whimpered as he set his foot in Trent’s waiting palms. The second landing was no softer than the first. He thought it would be better to drown that subject himself to the pounding again. He rolled on to his back and looked to where Felicia lay with her forehead pressed to the ground.
“He can’t swim,” Kerry coughed miserably.
“Good to hear.” Felicia began to push herself up. “How does he jump like that?”
Enhanced Jump was the answer that Trent refused to supply as he tugged the pair to their feet. He hustled them along, admonishing Kerry for talking when he should have been removing his armor. Casting a look backward to see the water rising, he was unsympathetic to the plight of his companions.
Water had already covered the first ledge and showed no sign of stopping. If anything, the flow of crashing liquid seemed to be coming faster. Trent felt an irresistible urge to flee from the swirling water. He had always found streams and pools to be comforting. Shallow and refreshing, they were a welcome break from the stale drinks provided by his water skin and the clinical cleaning of magic.
Deep water was another story. It was an enemy he couldn’t fight, a foe he was unable to vanquish. There were plenty of opponents out there that were stronger than he, but a sword was no help against the airless, crushing environment that was threatening to sweep over him.<
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Trent was at the next wall preparing to throw a sullen Felicia, whether she wanted to be tossed or not, when he realized that Dreq had stayed behind and was barking at the way they had come. He screamed at the Dog as he hoisted Felicia into the air. Even as Kerry joined the Mage in an upwards fall, Dreq refused to come.
Trent activated Dash and rushed back to pluck Dreq from the ground. Dreq whined and patted the air as he was swept away. He pointed with his nose and barked, “Look!”
Trent was tempted to shake the Dog and throw him aside, but trusting that Dreq wouldn’t waste time for no reason and fearing that a Beast might be swimming up behind him, Trent thrust his panic away long enough to look into the water below.
What he saw caused him to forget his fear. The water lapped and splashed, rippling the surface of the forming pool. It shouldn’t have been possible to see the bottom in the disturbances resulting from the thundering waterfall. Yet, despite the roiling of the water, the bottom was visible.
There had been no objects decorating the floor when they entered. No carvings, shelves, or depressions scarred the walls in this chamber. Trent had checked. There was no way to explain the shadow he saw, beckoning to him from the depths. The dark, box shape had not been there before, but there was something underneath the twenty feet of water now.
“I see it.” Trent placed a reassuring, apologetic hand on Dreq’s head and the Dog ceased his frantic squirming. “We can’t get to it. I can’t. We'll have to leave it.”
He left Dash activated as he sprinted away. Enhanced Jump sent him soaring into the air, and when he landed, he found Felicia and Kerry were up and waiting. Not eager to repeat their torturous ascent but not laying around moaning either. It was an improvement.
They continued their climb, the heights being the only thing barring their way. Five ledges, ten, twenty, and even Trent’s Stamina began to fall, unable to recover with the constant drain of lifting and running. Kerry was no lightweight in or out of armor. Trent’s arms began to feel the strain, and his legs started to dread the next leap as Enhanced Jump began to take its toll.
Kerry felt like one huge bruise as his body hit the floor for the twentieth time. Trent had threatened to leave him behind multiple times, and Kerry was ready to take up the offer. He might not be the best swimmer, but he could tread water. He had stripped out of his plate, and even his boots were in Trent’s Storage.
No one grabbed his collar to haul him to his feet. No shouts or shoves pushed him forward and Kerry warily raised his head to see why Trent, the taskmaster, had disappeared. He was gratified to find a tunnel stretching out before him. He hoped it had lots of Stone Biting Ants inside. He needed something to take his agony out on. Once his body stopped throbbing anyway.
What Kerry didn’t see was Trent. Felicia was there. She had dragged herself to the side and was sitting against the wall, head lowered to her chest. Dreq, the despicable mutt, who was small enough to be given a ride, was there as well. He sat, tail swishing, looking like he had enjoyed the whole process.
But no Trent. Kerry debated the benefits of turning over and decided they outweighed the cost. If Trent had abandoned them, he would be free to curse the Swordsman out loud rather than in the depths of his heart.
It took Kerry three tries to flip onto his back and lift his head. Trent stood at the edge of an extensive underground lake, his back to the tunnel which led deeper into the Dungeon. Levering himself up to his elbows was a mistake, but Kerry managed it, curious to see what held Trent captivated.
The waterfall was gone; the water had stopped rising. A pristine pool of water extended out, not a ripple marring its surface. No Beasts dragged themselves from the lake to fling themselves at Trent. From what Kerry could see, there was nothing to look at that was worth staring that way. The quiver in Trent’s empty hands and the set of his shoulders said he disagreed.
“What is it, Trent?” Kerry forced the words out.
Trent didn’t answer. He sunk to the ground beside Kerry and crossed his legs before sighing and saying, “I need to rest. Can either of you stand watch for a while?”
“I'm awake.” Kerry pushed himself into a sitting position. “My body is destroyed, but I won’t fall asleep.”
“Same,” Felicia murmured feebly.
“Good, give me a couple of hours.” Trent lay back and put his hands behind his head. “Two, no more than three. Then we’ll see what’s back there.”
“What’s where?” Kerry strained his eyes, but all the light from Felicia’s Spell showed him was a few feet of water and stone. “Are you talking about the tunnel?”
Trent was already asleep. He had probably been asleep when he murmured his intentions to explore. Kerry thought that had to be it. Trent had spoken without looking at the route they had to take to leave this place. There was no way he could have been talking about crossing the lake.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“I thought you couldn’t swim,” Kerry said. He had reclaimed his equipment from Trent and put it on while Trent stretched, limbering up after his short rest.
Trent swung his arms and twisted at the waist. “I can’t. What does that have to do with anything?”
“You could slip,” Kerry stressed, waving his hand at the lake, “fall in, hit your head. You’ll sink like a rock wearing all that gear.”
“So, I don’t slip.” Trent bent and touched his toes. Kerry lifted his foot to kick the target Trent presented. If Trent wouldn’t listen, maybe a quick dip would convince him how unreasonable he was being.
“And if you do?” Felicia said softly, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Kerry restrained his foot for a moment and lost his chance to pay Trent back for the pain he had suffered under Trent’s ministrations when the Swordsman straightened and said, “Yes, but that’s no reason not to go. I'm willing to let you two go instead. You can swim, right?”
“Ah.” Kerry stepped away from the water and Trent’s suggestion as quick as he could. The water that had been transparent before had turned dark and forbidding. There was no telling what it concealed. “I can but not well enough to risk it.”
“I swim like a fish,” Felicia added, “but I can’t cast and swim. I'd be defenseless.”
She sounded ashamed saying this. She knew that Trent would be even more helpless, and all it would take was a mistimed step.
“Then it has to be me.” Trent backed away from the water, activating Dash, and rolling his head on his neck. He had known it would be this way. Had to be this way. This was the steam all over again. Swimming wasn’t the answer because he couldn’t swim. The most the others could do would be to scout the way and tell him what to expect.
“It doesn’t have to be anyone. We can…” Kerry’s words fell on Trent’s back. The toes of Trent’s boots pushed off the edge of the solid platform, and an impossible jump carried him into the dark where Felicia’s Spell couldn’t reach.
Trent tried to keep his body loose and his eyes on his target. He tried to pretend it was solid ground he leaped over. He told himself there was no need to look down; he had seen the stone floor before. His roiling stomach didn’t believe him any more than his sweating palms did.
Platforms of stone jutted out from the Trial’s walls. Made from the same blue-gray rock and spaced at distances too far for anyone without Enhanced Jump to reach, the wide shelves might have been resting places for a swimmer. They could have been, but they weren’t. There would be an obstacle at the end only he could cross; Trent was sure of that.
His feet touched down on stone closer to the unfathomable water than he would like. The platform was short, a few stumbling steps brought him to the far edge, and Trent teetered for a moment, heart pounding. The rock was slightly rough under his feet, allowing him to find the traction he needed. He had been prepared to activate Steady Footing, but it wasn’t necessary.
He backed up and prepared for the next jump. He bit his lip and pushed his legs forward before he could rethink his decision. He did not look ba
ck. The sight of Kerry and Felicia’s concerned faces might have spoiled his resolve. They were right. There was no reason Trent had to do this.
His next landing was as precarious as his first. He almost fell backward, and a last-minute shifting of weight was all that anchored him on the ledge. He inched his way forward and pressed a hand to the wall as he released the breath he had been holding.
He shouldn’t have pushed the Trial. Setting the platforms at the limits of his ability to jump had to be a warning. Didn’t it? Maybe he was still reading too much into things. After all, Trials weren’t supposed to be easy. If he could step from stone to stone like crossing a bridge, what would be the challenge in that?
Trent repeated that as he used Enhanced Jump to fling himself to the next ledge. He stopped saying it after that. What was wrong with an easy Trial? The steam had been nice for the most part. Why couldn’t all obstacles be like that? A plateful of food that had to be eaten but left you uncomfortably full, or a bed that was a touch too soft but had to be slept in; where were the Trials with challenges like that?
The ledges came to an end against the wall that had produced the waterfall. He had to activate Steady Footing on it. Three feet wide, stretching from one corner of the tunnel to the other, Trent had bounced off the wall and almost fell before he activated the Skill to stay upright.
His mask tapped on stone as Trent pressed his forehead to the wall. He had made it. Feeling backward with one foot and finding the edge right away, Trent felt he had made a mistake. There was no treasure or loot on this shelf. There also wasn’t room to get a running start, something he would need to make his way back. He had come all this way for nothing.
He left his head where it was and explored the area out of the corners of his eyes. Open air, smooth stone, and deep water were all that could be seen. He clenched his hands in frustration where they rested on the wall. That frustration vanished as his fingers caught in the slightest of lips, the most subtle protrusion. There was something else here.
