Day 59

Molly St Claire

“We all know floor five is going to be trouble,” said Malachi, opening the Council meeting.

The next day the Sixty would enter the fifth floor and they had every reason to believe that this floor would be special. Their access to equipment would greatly expand with its completion. The Screens were limited to selling simple constructs, but the unlocking of the stalls would allow the purchase of advanced equipment. More specifically, the golems and robots would be enabled to forge them. Or, in the case of Valerie and perhaps others, build their own. To the cool-eyed woman, this meant a guarantee of high difficulty for this floor.

It was pleasing, but not surprising, that their leader saw it the same way.

“Putting aside unlocking the stalls, that floor is straight up unpleasant,” warned Reuben. “Barely habitable to walk through. Ya’ll took a look too.”

Julia crinkled her nose, “The smell definitely made an impression. Like being slapped in the face with bad eggs.”

“That would be the sulfur,” said Molly. “The floor seems to be volcanic, to add to our troubles.”

“It reminds me of Yellowstone,” remarked the battlemage. “The look and smell both. Meaning the water and likely the very land will be treacherous to us. Reuben, was that your impression from your team’s exploration?”

The scout looked miserable to be the bearer of bad news. “Beyond what I just said? If we had a choice, I’d definitely say stir clear. You’re right about the land being unsafe. The hot springs are everywhere and the ground around them is unstable. Porsha half-cooked her foot when she stepped off the path for a closer look. Thank god for health potions, otherwise the meat might of slushed off. That water is acidic on top of steaming.”

“Paths?” encouraged the cool-eyed woman. She could see Reuben was about to drift off into complaints. The details would be there, but they wouldn’t be as concise.

“Ahh yeah, there are some safe paths to take. Well safe-ish. There are places where the water overflows it and you have to hopscotch across. So, we have routes to cross the floor with, but they’re narrow. That’ll leave us vulnerable to monsters since our maneuverability will be limited. Especially if we stay all together, like we’re prone to do. Might be best to split into parties for this floor.”

Warner proclaimed for the group, “Well, doing that ain’t gonna hurt us. Strength in number is good, but each party is still a fuckin’ powerhouse, uh cluster. ‘Cause every one of us is a powerhouse.”

Malachi laughed. “I like your enthusiasm. Makes me feel more confident in agreeing. It has been made clear to me that more trust needs to be put into each of us individually. Meaning, that at the moment, I have no qualms. Splitting into parties does seem the safe choice. That doesn’t mean anyone has a license to be reckless. There is no harm or dishonor in retreating. Staying alive is always the better choice.”

“I’m sure no one will be stupid,” Julia smiled at Malachi, but glared at everyone else. “Anyways, it was pretty steamy at the entrance, so I know I couldn’t see much in the distance. Reuben, were you able to get a better look at the overall terrain of the floor? Or was the steam pretty pervasive throughout?”

“I got a good look,” replied the scout. “You’re right that it’s very steamy, but there are a couple of clear lines of sight to find. From what I saw the whole floor is just one big caldera. The entrance is atop the rim and then everything slopes down to a boiling lake.”

“Did we get lucky and you saw the exit across the way?” asked an excited Phelian.

Reuben shook his head ruefully. “Afraid not. It ain’t that clear.”

“Sigh, o’ well, we’ll find it the hard way.”

“Gah haha! If only it was that easy,” grinned Warner.

Vincent disagreed, “If it were that simple, I’d be worried. To me that would say our task to unlock would be extraordinarily difficult to complete.”

“I can see the logic,” agreed Molly. “So far, the two objectives have been fairly equal in difficulty. Though floor four is the imbalance that proves your point. The exit was easily found, but the task took a miracle to do.”

“Not that miracles are exactly as rare as they used to seem,” pointed out Warner. At a look from Harken, he added, “Not to suggest they can be given out like candy.”

The priestly man smiled, “It is good to remember that, there is no guarantee every prayer will be heard, nor the right request made. How or why a miracle is gifted is unknowable.”

“So prayer is only a little more useful than Before,” laughed Vincent. “I’ll stick to faith in my sword.”

“Everyone needs something to believe in.”

“And, we’re about to get off subject,” interjected Malachi. “Back to the fifth floor. Were there any monster sightings?”

“That’s the strange part,” frowned Reuben. “We went three different directions and none of us had much to say. There is some fauna. Fish, birds, etc. O’ real deer too. But nothing big and toothy for us to worry about. Might be something out there hiding, so expect ambushes. That’s my guess on the subject.”

“That’s annoying,” sighed Julia. “Doesn’t leave us much material to work with.”

“There was only fish in the water?” asked Molly. “That does seem a major element of the floor. I would expect our main concern to be found there.”

The scout shrugged unhappily. “That makes sense, but I ain’t got much to add than, yeah I saw some fish. Which is weird enough when the water is good enough to cook in seconds. Frankly between the steam and the mineral deposits, the water wasn’t very clear. And that’s when one of the geysers wasn’t going off. Could be some monsters hiding in the water, but the otters taught me lessons about spending too much time next to bodies of water on my lonesome.”

“What’s that about minerals?” leaned in Julia.

“Probably like Yellowstone,” answered Malachi. “Hot springs and geysers bring up a lot of different minerals that then settle wherever the water flows. I remember a really pretty spectrum of earthy tones. Oranges, reds, yellows, grays, and whites. Am I right, Reuben?”

The scout nodded, “Yeah, exactly like that.”

“O’ well, wandering around in the unknown ain’t exactly new to us,” grinned Warner. “The monsters were pretty sparse on the fourth floor too.”

“He’s right, concerning, but well within our experience,” agreed Malachi. “I do definitely think we should instruct every party leader to keep their people wary of the water. The geysers and hot springs do seem to be the theme of this level. That’s where the danger is going to be.”

“Especially when you're talking about boiling and acidic water,” grimaced Phelian. “Hopefully we don’t have to figure out how to fight in it, because that sounds really unpleasant.”

“Agreed,” smiled Malachi. “I think that covers everything we have on floor five. To sum up the plan, we’ll split into parties to explore and identify places of interest. Following the usual procedures. Stick to the paths and be careful around water. If we turn up nothing after the first day, then we’ll expand the search. Any comments?”

There were a few quick conversations to expand on details, but ultimately the Council was in easy acceptance of the plan. It was business as usual after a few floors. Molly noted that even with the trouble expected of floor five, everyone was optimistic about their odds.

“Alright, no other comments. Ok, then does anyone have anything to add?” Malachi looked quickly around. “Then how about we finish early…”

Damien stood up suddenly, “Wait! I have something to add?”

“Um, do you?” asked Julia. “You don’t seem certain.”

“Yes, I do!” confirmed the obsidian thaumaturgist as looked for something within his robe. He proudly pulled out a note. Looked at it briefly before sitting back down.

Warner looked confused, “Do you have what you want to say on there?”

“No, it's just a reminder to remind me to talk at the meeting today.”

“What?”

“Allen gave it to me,” Damien explained further. “Said it would help remind me. Sort of worked. I remembered I had something to remind me to remember something.”

Molly sighed, “And that is?”

The obsidian thaumaturgist smiled, “Ahh right! So I have been working with Allen and Analia on dual casting. You all remember they were able to perform that again, right? Good! Good! So the key was harmonization in Will and purpose. Which we knew, but not how to get to that exact state of mind. Emotions appeared to be a shortcut, though very hard to replicate the extremity that those two were in during the original casting. Luckily it appears the second time required less effort to gain the proper mindset for the harmonization, likely as the way had already been forged for them. At least that is the prevailing theory. With this second iteration, the three of us were able to better map out the process. They had much more direct control this time around too. Actively reaching out for the connection rather than desperately seeking something from within themselves.”

“Damien, Damien, sorry but you're rambling a little,” said Julia apologetically. “Did you guys figure it out?”

“O, sorry,” blinked Damien. ‘Yes, we figured it out. Though in a limited capacity. Currently, the only dual casting that can be done is if one of the people is Allen or Analia. They still have to guide us, for now at least.”

“I thought I heard some big booms when I was at the shooting range,” said Clarissa thoughtfully.

Julia looked at her askew, “I’m surprised you didn’t know about this already then. Normally you’d rush over to see what the commotion was about. You love your new shinies.”

“Ah, well, I was busy beating up trenchy and didn’t want to leave until he was thoroughly crushed,” grinned the redhead. “By the time I had flawlessly finished, the training rooms were all empty. I made the right choice, though.”

“That poor guy…” whispered the shieldmaiden.

“So, Damien, do you think it could be deployed in combat?” asked Malachi, trying to ignore his two greatest supporters and meeting annoyances.

“Within the limitations of those two have to be involved,” clarified Damien. “Though, it is only a matter of time before the rest of us are capable. Anastasia and I are on the cusp of understanding. Once that happens there will be four people to spread the method.”

Harken spoke up. “Do you think it is solely for your Will-based casters or can those of us of Faith be able to do the same?”

“Hmm, I do not know. You should join us in our experimentations. Bring another Faith caster with you and we can start to map out the possibilities. Mana is infinite, so it should only be a matter of effort to blend our power. Likely dual casting with your fellow Faith casters would be key to merging our disciplines.”

“And, perhaps, adding another into the connection, or more,” thought Malachi out loud.

Damien sighed, “Currently, that is outside our skill levels. We tried three, but even with Allen and Analia anchoring the connection, the power was too overwhelming. It is beyond us to control for the moment.”

“That brings up a thought,” broached Molly. “Is dual casting the same as say a ritual spell or group casting?”

“Mmm, it is hard to be certain without examples of those,” considered Damien. “My hypothesis is that they are not alike. The nature of the harmonization needed is just too distinctly different in my mind. If I am right by what you mean by ritual and group spells, then those are more mechanical in nature. Harmony would help in the casting, but in theory, is unnecessary. Only timing, Mana, and spell frame would be required. A diverging notion is that Dual casting is an evolution of our path of personal elevation while those methods are in the same tree as generic spells. Those that anyone can learn.”

“You said something interesting in there,” noted Malachi, his eyes glinted with curiosity. “That we’re on a “path of personal elevation.” What do you mean exactly by that?”

“Let me ask you a question. Do you not think it strange that all our spells have come from our Heartsong or our extrapolation thereof? Odd that the screens have no books of spells, no scrolls. Nothing on what spells humanity had already come up with.”

Molly reflected. The idea might have crossed her mind in the early days, but that question had been quickly lost in the efforts of their everyday. It was odd. The safety of the Sixty would have been stronger from day one if there had been a list of pre-made spells to pull from.

Perhaps that’s the point. We would have been too safe and therefore had less reason to be drawn to our inner selves. It is even possible that none of us would have learned to listen to the Heartsong. In that case, our power would have been much weaker than it is currently. We are walking blind, but it has been to our advantage in the end. What cruel success. I can see why the Xaiver did it this way.

“It didn’t occur to me to question that before,” admitted Malachi. “In truth, I just assumed that this is how magic works in this world. That each of us expresses our magic uniquely.”

“From all that I have read, only the best do or can,” said Damien. “Magic was little different than science to the humans that built The Pit, Will or Faith. I have squeezed every bit of information our books have. Nothing was outright stated, but our experience is not the norm is what I gleaned. Especially from the books written by individuals on their personal expertise. There are other unique factors in play I believe, but mostly it is the pressure we all are under that has made us excel as we have.”

“Clearly I need to read more.”

“That is never a bad idea!”

“Do you think we will ever get access to those old spells?” wondered Molly. “I understand the purpose of the current arrangement, but it does seem extreme to withhold all that knowledge.”

Damien’s head tilted in thought, “Perhaps that will be part of the reward for finishing The Pit? Xavier did say he chose us to be the new humanity of this world. As the inheritors, all their knowledge will become ours.”

“Meaning, he expects us to stay here,” growled Julia. “That isn’t exactly what I plan to do.”

Phelian was stunned. “No? I look forward to exploring a fantasy world once we're up there.”

The shieldmaiden shrugged. “This isn’t our world, I have no obligation to be part of repopulating it.”

“Well, Ju Ju, I am outright surprised by that!” grinned Clarissa, her eyes wide and the tone overdone. “You’re already halfway there! You got Malachi, and the dead of the night!”

Julia blushed. “Shut up! That has nothing to do with anything! Is it so wrong to want to go home?”

Harken stepped in. “There is nothing wrong with that. If there was a way to bring us here, then no doubt there is a way home. Julia won’t be the only one that holds the same wish, just as Phelian isn’t alone in accepting this new world.”

“Which won’t matter until we’re atop,” added Malachi. “Let’s not get too fixated on “when we're finished.” That is still a long way off. Best to keep ourselves in the present.”

“Don’t think there is anything wrong with discussing that, though,” countered Phelian. “Talking about the future is important to keep up our hope.

“It is unlikely Malachi meant a full embargo on discussing what happens after The Pit,” suggested Molly. “More likely he meant during a Council meeting focused on floor five, that such talk is distracting from the more imperative subject.”

“More or less,” agreed their leader. “Since we’ve returned to our topic, is there anything more to say on tomorrow’s venture? Or, news like Damien had?”

This time everyone was silent and the dismissal followed smoothly after. The rest of the free day was theirs. Molly got up to leave, but caught movement in the corner of her eye. The large shape was annoyingly familiar.

Work is over, there’s some time for pleasure.

Warner smiled as he turned to her, a warm sparkle in his eyes. “Would you like to get some tea? I’ll make it this time.”

She smirked. “Tempting, but I have an appointment with my party. I have to fill them in on tomorrow after all.”

“Ah, right, that makes total sense. Shit.”

“You should do the same.”

He grinned, only a little bluster. “Of course! You don’t have to tell me twice!”

“That is certainly true. So after, shall we have that tea? Tonight then? Your room?”

The smile turned sloppy for the briefest moment. “I’ll have everything ready.”

“Excellent,” said Molly with a smile before departing. There was a part of her that felt betrayed for flirting so close to Warner again. It was a cold and bitter thing that did, and the cool-eyed woman didn’t feel like listening. Not when Warner had changed so dramatically. The man had been reforged, she saw it. Knew it despite her anger.

More importantly, I am stronger now too. Confident. I am not under his charm nor leadership. The same risks are not there and I know that my heart can weather any storm. He is not forgiven, but he deserves a chance to try. This new Warner is something entirely else than before. He wouldn’t.

“Hmm, though Warner does not seem like the tea type,” reflected Molly. “I hope he knows how. A bad cup of tea can ruin a good conversation and last night was so pleasant.”

Warner really did open up to me. Not just in apologizing again, but in who he really is. Knowing someone’s behavior is so different from understanding another person. I forget that sometimes, until a moment of true honesty. I… I should do the same. Open that lock, maybe he could truly understand me. At least, I think he would try. Really try to understand. That is a gift.

She looked back. There was Warner behind her. Distracted by thought, muttering to himself. No doubt divided by the need to gather his party and being prepared for tonight. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies. It was only tea, but there was a certain inevitability to it.

Molly would be cautious, as much as she could.