Leaving

Even the most inhospitable place can leave you with fond memories, depending on who you were there with. Life’s all about connections, right?

. . . . .

Graham pressed his body to the stone, carefully shimmying along the wall. The mark was a few meters above him and to the left. The problem was, he couldn’t get any further up. The wall went beyond ‘steep’ and became outright ridiculous. It curved inward, meaning he would have to climb entirely with his hands and he’d be hanging freely above the deep shaft.

He reached a trembling hand up, determined to reach that mark and extinguish the fire. If that’s what the mark even did. He didn’t know. He brought his hand back. “That’s right. I don’t even know it’ll work. Why am I risking my life like this for an uncertainty?” He must’ve gone insane from the effort of climbing the wall twice.

He made his way back to the ledge. Just meters away, the fire raged within the hallway, heat billowing out and making him sweat. He gulped. “Still, there’s no way I’m jumping through that.” There had to be a safe way to reach the mark! All the other challenges he’d faced so far were reasonably accomplishable. Why would this be the one exception?

He stared at it, rubbing his chin. “If only I could fly… It’d be so much easier.” Just hop on over and touch it. That’s all he’d have to do. But who knew how far he was from building his Foundation. He knew it took most people years, at least. He’d learned that much from watching Seeker Battles. Well, not the battles, specifically, but from the chatrooms he’d joined to talk to other people about it.

Of course, the validity of that information was a bit suspect, the internet being what it was, after all. Many people had no qualms about lying for the fun of it. Still, he’d heard it from multiple sources, so it seemed legitimate.

He shook his head. “Getting off track, here.” He needed to focus on progressing past this ridiculous wall that had been placed in front of him. Maybe if he knew he could finish circulating before he fell, it wouldn’t be so scary to try climbing over there. But, how would he test whether he could without actually risking his life?

He blinked, then grabbed one of the remaining gems he’d pulled out of the wall. He dropped it down the shaft and counted the seconds until it hit. Four seconds. He paled. “That’s not nearly enough time!” He thought back to the fight with the panther. That’d taken… what? A minute? He couldn’t quite recall, but four seconds wouldn’t cut it. Maybe if he circulated before he—

“That’s it!” he shouted. “I can just circulate, jump, press the mark, then I’ll have plenty of circulation left to survive the fall!” It was genius. There were absolutely no flaws in this plan that he could see at this moment in time directly after he’d thought of it. Which meant it was genius.

He drew in energy, feeling it fill him with power and expand his senses. His confidence in this idea soared. He leapt, crossing the gap like a dirty puddle, and smacked his hand on the mark. There wasn’t any time to see if it worked, as he was already falling. With a great bang, he smacked into the ground feet first, feeling his bones creak and vibrate. But, they didn’t break.

It was as the energy faded that he realized he’d consigned himself to climbing the fucking wall again!

Robin nearly fell into the room, relief flooding her as the door closed behind her and cut her off from the awful experiences she’d been forced to go through. The room was empty. She frowned. “I guess I should’ve known.” There was nothing to do but wait, which wasn’t one of her favorite activities.

She walked around a pile of fish that would probably start to smell in a few hours. Graham had brought them back to eat, but she didn’t even want to touch them. Not that she wasn’t hungry, they were just… gross.

She huddled in front of the fire, staring into it until a lock of her hair began to brush her nose. It bothered her, so she pulled out the band that kept her hair back and shook it out. It fell to a little past her shoulders. She grabbed a lock and cringed at how greasy it was. “I haven’t had a shower in… two days… I kinda envy Graham. He got to wade through a pool of water.” She grimaced. “Though, I wouldn’t want to have to deal with the fish.”

Chances are, she wouldn’t be able to clean herself properly until she got home. If she ever got home… Tears welled up at the thought of her home. That brought memories of her family, which was shortly followed by the memory of strangling her father’s look-a-like. She sobbed and slapped her cheeks. “That wasn’t him! It wasn’t even human! It’s… it’s not my fault. The vines moved on their own.” She wiped her face. “I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen. It’s not my fault.”

Some time passed as Robin tried not to think of what she’d done in that room. Then, Graham arrived.

“The Apothecary Primer was already gone. Which means Robin must’ve got to it, first. I knew she had it in her!” Graham thought. He couldn’t help but be proud of Robin. She seemed so timid and skittish, but she’d pulled through a challenge most would succumb to. She didn’t show it much, but she had some spine.

He smiled as he approached the door that would let him back out. Climbing up the wall again was arduous, but he’d managed. He actually felt stronger for it. Not just when he was circulating but in general. Which was strange, cause it usually took a lot longer to feel the benefits of working out.

It turns out he was right about the mark. As soon as he’d reached the top again, the fire had been gone. He’d worried that it couldn’t be that simple, but those worries were for nothing.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he turned the door handle, holding the Bestiary in his other hand. He was too tired to properly look at it, right now. If Orion had already entered the last room, they’d be getting out of here, soon. Which meant he should try to get some rest before that happened. This tower was much more secure than whatever random shelter they’d find outside.

Robin sat by the fire, her arms wrapped around her legs. Graham grinned. “Robin!”

She twisted around, staring at him with wide eyes. Bloodshot eyes, with red skin around them. Like she’d been crying. Graham grimaced. “Of course she must’ve cried. After going through whatever was past the door? Still, I wonder what she’s upset about?”

She had some bruises, too, on either cheek. Graham grit his teeth and sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright? Any serious injuries?”

She shook her head, making her hair toss around. There was a lock of lavender that he hadn’t noticed there before. She looked good with her hair down.

“I’m fine,” she said. “A little tired.”

Graham smiled. “Me, too. You got the book?”

She held it out to him. The Apothecary’s Primer, which might be just what they need to remove the parasitic vine. Maybe. He set the Bestiary in the space between them. “I’ve got the other. So, mission accomplished, right?” he said, smiling.

Robin nodded silently and set the primer down on top of the bestiary. Graham frowned. “Don’t you want to take a look? Oh! I bet you already checked out the primer! Did you find out what the vine is?”

Robin closed her eyes and shook her head. “I haven’t checked.”

Graham frowned. Why wouldn’t she check? She seemed eager to remove the thing before… Had something changed while she was in that room? She was obviously upset.

Het set himself and asked. “Robin? What happened to you in that room?”

She flinched and raised her head, not meeting his eyes. “I… I killed something.” She went on to explain the nature of her trials. Being forced to make choices quickly. Being chased by some creature she hadn’t even been able to make out in the darkness. Jumping into a pit to avoid a gruesome death. And then…

“I found my father. Sitting in a room and singing like he was at home.” She clenched her eyes shut. “I know I should’ve suspected something! I know! But I was so happy to see him!” She sobbed and Graham put an arm around her. She leaned into him, crying into his shoulder.

After a short while, she regained control of herself and drew in a deep breath. “But it wasn’t him. It was some… creature. It chased me, and it didn’t want me to leave. I don’t know what it wanted with me, but I knew it wasn’t good, so I ran. When it finally caught me, I… I… the vines moved on their own and wrapped around its neck.”

Her arms threaded around Graham’s back, and she clutched his shirt. “I strangled it to death on top of me!” Her tears came again, followed by whimpers and sobs. Graham rubbed her back in circles, not sure what else he could do for the distraught woman.

“Fuck, killing someone who looks exactly like your father? How do you deal with that?” he thought. It was beyond fucked up. Whoever put that thing in there deserved a swift punch to the gut… from someone far stronger than Graham. He looked down at Robin. She’d nearly crawled into his lap at this point.

“It’s a bit embarrassing, but also… kinda sweet that she trusts me so much.” He chuckled softly to himself and pulled her close. “Is this what it’s like to have a little sister?” He really couldn’t tell, as he was an only child. He was sure his mother would’ve loved to have another child, but… after her accident that wasn’t really an option.

He shook his head. “I need to say something to Robin. Calm her down, somehow. But, what?” Comforting someone was a rare event for him. He couldn’t think of many people that were close enough to him to come to him with their problems.

He searched his brain for a moment then spoke, “I… It’s not your fault, Robin. You did what you had to do. There’s not much choice in a place like this.”

She didn’t respond, her breaths evening out. Graham quirked a brow. “She’s asleep? Well, I imagine she must’ve been tired…” But what was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t move for fear of waking her. And he didn’t really feel like doing that. She deserved rest.

His eyes fell on the books to his side. “Well, I could look through those, I guess?”

He shrugged and picked up the bestiary. It wasn’t long before the book fell from limp hands.

Orion came in a few hours later, a book in hand and silver medallion around his neck. Graham frowned as he awoke. “That wasn’t there before.”

He cleared his throat. “How did it go?” he asked.

Orion sat, glancing at Robin in Graham’s lap. “Not too bad. I had to solve a couple puzzles, but they weren’t too difficult. I even got two rewards.” He flicked the medallion at his neck and raised the book in his hand.

“The book on Sigilcraft and a shield talisman,” he explained. He pursed his lips. “So, what’s with…” He waved a hand at Robin.

Graham pursed his lips. “She had a rough time in there. I guess she just needed to cry it out, cause she fell asleep afterward.

Orion snorted and looked around. “Where’s my shield?”

Graham grimaced. “I think she must’ve lost it in her room.”

“Are you kidding me! She couldn’t even hold onto a damn shield?”

“It can’t be helped. She had her own circumstances to worry about. And it’s too late to do anything about it, now.”

Orion scrubbed at his hair. “Agh, whatever. Not that big a deal.” He glanced at the hallway that led to the exit. “We leaving soon?”

Graham nodded. “Yeah, there’s no reason to stay here, anymore.”

The bricks rearranged into an archway, letting them out. The sky was cloudy, like it was about to rain, and the sun was on the verge of rising… or setting. Graham couldn’t quite tell. Rising seemed more likely, though.

Robin tugged on his arm after they’d all left the tower. “Where do we go from here?” Orion looked at him in interest, as well.

Graham ran a hand through his hair. “Leave… I guess. There are walls all around us, but I saw a crack in the cliffs from up on that hill. If we can make it there, we might be able to pass through and find our way back to civilization. I hope.

Orion grunted. “Which way is that pass, though?”

Graham blinked, looking to the sky. If the sun was rising, then he knew which way was East. But, he didn’t trust his sense of direction. It’d be better to confirm it with his own eyes. He set his eyes on a tall tree. “I’ll go check, real quick.”

Robin frowned. “What? How?”

He pointed up. “I’ll climb. Don’t worry, compared to earlier, it’ll be a piece of cake!”

“Huh? Earlier?” she mumbled, frowning.

Graham hopped up and grabbed onto a low branch, hauling himself up. “Back in that last room,” he called down. “I had to climb a pretty tall cliff. Not, like, the cliffs surrounding this place, but still pretty tall.”

He hauled himself up in short order, feeling how much easier it was. The branches made for amazing holds and he could get his legs around them and everything. He wasn’t clinging to a cliff face anymore so it was so much easier. As he neared the top, he found a good branch to perch on and took a look out. The wind blew strong up here, a refreshing coolness that ran through his hair and dragged across his skin.

Though the spots covered in dried blood didn’t feel anything. “I could really use a proper bath,” he thought. He looked to the sun. “So, that’s East. Then, North must be to my left.” He turned to the left and saw the pass. Beyond the bog with the shimmering air. The angle of the light made it impossible to see the terrain of the pass, as it was cast into shadow.

He looked down. “It’s that way!” he called, pointing. Orion waved a hand to indicate he’d heard. While he was up there, Graham took another cursory glance around and saw something strange on the mountain to the West. Something big was moving on it. It looked like a brown blob from the distance, but the fact he could see it at all meant it must be fucking huge.

“Glad we’re not going that way. I’d rather not find out what that is.” At least, not until he was strong enough to blast it to pieces in one go. Then, he’d definitely go over there. He made his way back down, patting Robin on her shoulder and leading the way toward the bog. It’d be a drag to wade through that place, but there was no helping it. They had to get through.

Despite climbing the cliff in the tower, he didn’t have any confidence in challenging a real cliff. Especially not when there were flying creatures roosting in the crevices, likely looking for their next meal.

They hadn’t gotten far from the tower when trouble showed up. Gloria and James were back. Robin gasped and her hand went to her arm. Graham stepped in front of her. Orion kept a wary eye on them.

“They’ve got a crazy look in their eyes. Have they gotten worse?” Graham wondered. Without much ado, they attacked. James leapt at Graham, arms outstretched. “Fuck. I don’t think Robin is any condition to fight. Hopefully, Orion will pick up the slack.”

The problem was that he wasn’t sure the man would. Orion had been pretty upset when he found out Robin lost his shield. He hadn’t said anything to her about it, but he might be brooding over it. “I’ll have to take care of this quickly, so she doesn’t get hurt.” Besides, as far as he knew, she couldn’t circulate without the scripture, yet.

James collided with him and they rolled on the ground as Graham tried to draw in energy. James snarled like a wolf and Graham could see vines creeping out from beneath his shirt, thick and dark like Robin’s had been before she’d circulated. There wasn’t any doubt left. These two were possessed by that creepy plant. Would Robin have ended up like this in different circumstances? For some reason, the thought hurt.

Graham tried to shove James off, but the vines had wrapped around his arms. James smashed his forehead into Graham’s nose, sending his head reeling back. “Son of a bitch! Again with the headbutts!” Gloria had done the same damn thing, before.

As they struggled, Graham slowly grasped energy from the surroundings and pulled it in until he was flushed with power. He grinned as his strength amplified and threw his arms to the side, tearing away the vines binding them. “Haha! This won’t even be a challenge, now!”

He launched James into the air with a leg, then he launched himself with his hands. He spun in the air, whipping a kick to James’s face that sent him hurtling away, rolling and bouncing along the ground until he ran smack into the base of a tree.

Graham landed lightly on his feet, having righted himself from the kick. His jaw fell. “Holy shit! I can’t believe I moved like that!” It was just like he’d pictured in his head, but the coordination required should have been beyond him. His body had just moved exactly the way he wanted it to. He held up a shaking hand and used the other to keep it still, laughing maniacally. This was what a Seeker could do. It was incredible. And it was only the very tip of the iceberg.