Amora looked up from the face of the girl he had tried to save with tears in his
eyes. It was clear he was panicking. His white robes were turning dark and stained from
this foul castle's cold floor, but he stayed on his knees anyway. His craft had died long
ago but no one had the heart to say so to his face. Healing magic is a sad business; it
always dies eventually. When others' faith or the healer's own is lost, a healer's magic
slowly loses its power and dies. Amora had been powerful once. And not just in his
prime: perhaps months ago. The tales about him that had spread through the world said
he had once owned the power to bring back the dead, but now he couldn't even stop an
arrow wound from taking a girl.
The body was that of a woman not quite fully grown. Why someone like her had
joined this dismal band was beyond anyone's thinking. Only the most desperate and most
powerful would ascend Spiral Tower, and everybody knew it. Not to say that her skill
had not been of the highest class. In fact, she had gotten them into this tower. She could
pick any lock, and at times was so stealthy she seemed to fade into the shadows, even in
full sunlight.
Amora stood up and took little Jaipe's hand. Jaipe was not even a teenager yet.
Everyone knew what she would be thinking: am I next? The young woman was not their
first loss but their second, and hopefully their last. The first had been one of the band's
best fighters: a calm, stoic man who believed in himself and his friends, and was proud of
what he lived for. A death like that was a tragedy. The death of the sprightly, ever-
cheerful girl made people want to sit down and cry. She had seen the fun in everything
(especially picking pockets) and cheered people up in any circumstance. But now she was
gone.
Jaipe was shaking, but the only member of the team of four who was paying
attention was the old man holding her hand. Jaipe was in dire circumstances. At such a
young age, no one should have to brave the terrors of such a dungeon, but the choice had
been her own. She was a magical prodigy and had been since birth. She had surpassed her
instructors before she turned ten, and at this point her power was unquestionably the most
destructive in the world. The youngest and most vulnerable of the team spent most of her
battles in the front lines.
She shook her head but did not cry. She had cried at the death of their first, but
now escape was the only thing on her mind. She had seen more in a short time than most
adults ever would. She slowly looked over towards Duel.
He was frowning, but obviously not upset. Duel was a naturally cold man. He
seemed to embody everything that people considered evil. He was arrogant and proud,
and at times overly combative and aggressive. The other three may have simply left him
behind if not for his skill with the bow, but he was simply too useful to lose.
The last of the four was on the stone floor, working with a map he had made of
the tower so far. Gars was an extremely intelligent man. He worked with those strange
contraptions called machines and often came up with many good ideas. He was
somewhat skilled with his rapier, but he was of the most use to his team when he was
thinking. He was visibly saddened by the sudden death of their regent thief, but he too
was beginning to panic.
They had ascended to the second floor of the tower only recently, and no one
could tell them how many more there were. Those that survived moved on to better
things, and perhaps those that did not did too.
The first floor had been relatively free of traps, but laden with creatures bent on
destroying intruders. Their first fight together had been down there, and they had gotten
their first looks at the others' skill.
Duel had impressed everyone early on. Arrows rained from the murky depths of
the dark ceiling, blinking out life in the ranks of the monsters. His accuracy and power
went unquestioned from that point. When things had become desperate, Jaipe had stepped
forward. Gars, Duel, and the knight and the thief had not been enough to hold at bay the
ranks of short, dark creatures. Then the little girl had raised her hands and chanted
something unheard. She blinked slowly, once, and the world had erupted in a firestorm
seemingly summoned from the depths of Hell. In the deceptive quiet that had followed,
five heads slowly turned towards her.
Now their diminished team was trapped in a vaguely circular hallway. They
continued to follow the same path, over and over, and always ended up in this spot. What
was panicking them was the sounds they heard. Something was coming closer. It
followed them through the circle, but it had never been seen directly. The team was afraid
to split up and scout out, so all they could do was run.
"This is our best chance," said Gars, displaying his map. It showed the first floor,
and the circle of the second, with some point indicated in red. Apparently he intended to
explore that point further.
Amora sighed and slowly stood up. "I'm sorry," he said to the dead young
woman. Little Jaipe sighed too, but she did not cry. She was holding up admirably for
someone so young.
"There's no time. We're leaving," said Duel. Amora looked pained for an instant
before turning away and following his team, Jaipe in hand.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were all of a neutral gray stone. A simple block
pattern that faded detail away, leaving light and shadow to distinguish between what was
near and far. The seemingly lone hallway on this floor was abnormally wide, to the point
where all four of them could walk abreast with room for more.
At another of the haunting sounds on this floor, Gars shot a glance over his
shoulder and frowned. Unconsciously, the team's pace hastened. Soon, they heard the
scraping's intensity increase. A quiet growl sounded unendingly beneath that terrible
scrape, and every so often a ragged breath broke the sound. Even Duel was paled with
fear by the time they made it to the spot Gars had selected. It was a shallow niche in the
wall that seemingly served no purpose. It was not the only discrepancy in the unending
stone wall, but Gars had selected it for a purpose. They had passed it the first few times,
with no reason to inspect it. But now, with whatever it was hunting them down, they were
running out of options.
"Stop," said Duel raggedly. Gars hurried to the task of inspecting the wall, and the
other three fanned out behind him protectively. As he fiddled and tinkered with missing
stones and loose pebbles, the sounds surged one last time. The growl became a furious,
snarling howl, and the creature appeared. A black shadow swooped across a corner of the
floor and halted. It was enormous. But there was nothing there.
"A shadow-?" Jaipe's question was broken by her own frightened sob. Indeed the
demon was nothing but a shadow. If it had owned substance, it would have filled the
entire width of the corridor.
Gars shot a glance over his shoulder but turned his head right back around at the
sight. "Hurry!" snapped Duel. He pulled on an arrow shaft and fired an experimental
shot, but it simply struck the wall behind the shadow and fell to the ground.
The next instant happened all at once. The monster charged and screamed, its
insubstantial claws leaving scratches on the floor in places. Jaipe shot out a hand and
chanted a spell: "Seraph in heaven, open your eyes!" The true form of the demon was
illuminated in a blue light that showed the terrible details of an enormous beast that was
all tooth and claw. And the hidden door behind them opened.
At the sound, all three turned and ran through the opening. It revealed a tiny room
containing only one thing: the now-familiar portal that took them up one level. This one
was different than the first. It too was suspended on a pedastal, but it was circular instead
of square. It was framed in thin stonework instead of gold, and stood on two legs instead
of one. But the swirling, cloudy-white depths that appeared as though they were looking
through a window was exactly the same. Duel was the last one through. In the instant he
lept for his salvation, the doorway exploded with the monster's mass. Then he saw
nothing but the white swirls for a moment before moving on.
He landed with a thud atop poor little Jaipe, who gave a feminine "oof." For many
moments, the four just remained there, breathing and staring. After a while they even
began to take in their surroundings.
eyes. It was clear he was panicking. His white robes were turning dark and stained from
this foul castle's cold floor, but he stayed on his knees anyway. His craft had died long
ago but no one had the heart to say so to his face. Healing magic is a sad business; it
always dies eventually. When others' faith or the healer's own is lost, a healer's magic
slowly loses its power and dies. Amora had been powerful once. And not just in his
prime: perhaps months ago. The tales about him that had spread through the world said
he had once owned the power to bring back the dead, but now he couldn't even stop an
arrow wound from taking a girl.
The body was that of a woman not quite fully grown. Why someone like her had
joined this dismal band was beyond anyone's thinking. Only the most desperate and most
powerful would ascend Spiral Tower, and everybody knew it. Not to say that her skill
had not been of the highest class. In fact, she had gotten them into this tower. She could
pick any lock, and at times was so stealthy she seemed to fade into the shadows, even in
full sunlight.
Amora stood up and took little Jaipe's hand. Jaipe was not even a teenager yet.
Everyone knew what she would be thinking: am I next? The young woman was not their
first loss but their second, and hopefully their last. The first had been one of the band's
best fighters: a calm, stoic man who believed in himself and his friends, and was proud of
what he lived for. A death like that was a tragedy. The death of the sprightly, ever-
cheerful girl made people want to sit down and cry. She had seen the fun in everything
(especially picking pockets) and cheered people up in any circumstance. But now she was
gone.
Jaipe was shaking, but the only member of the team of four who was paying
attention was the old man holding her hand. Jaipe was in dire circumstances. At such a
young age, no one should have to brave the terrors of such a dungeon, but the choice had
been her own. She was a magical prodigy and had been since birth. She had surpassed her
instructors before she turned ten, and at this point her power was unquestionably the most
destructive in the world. The youngest and most vulnerable of the team spent most of her
battles in the front lines.
She shook her head but did not cry. She had cried at the death of their first, but
now escape was the only thing on her mind. She had seen more in a short time than most
adults ever would. She slowly looked over towards Duel.
He was frowning, but obviously not upset. Duel was a naturally cold man. He
seemed to embody everything that people considered evil. He was arrogant and proud,
and at times overly combative and aggressive. The other three may have simply left him
behind if not for his skill with the bow, but he was simply too useful to lose.
The last of the four was on the stone floor, working with a map he had made of
the tower so far. Gars was an extremely intelligent man. He worked with those strange
contraptions called machines and often came up with many good ideas. He was
somewhat skilled with his rapier, but he was of the most use to his team when he was
thinking. He was visibly saddened by the sudden death of their regent thief, but he too
was beginning to panic.
They had ascended to the second floor of the tower only recently, and no one
could tell them how many more there were. Those that survived moved on to better
things, and perhaps those that did not did too.
The first floor had been relatively free of traps, but laden with creatures bent on
destroying intruders. Their first fight together had been down there, and they had gotten
their first looks at the others' skill.
Duel had impressed everyone early on. Arrows rained from the murky depths of
the dark ceiling, blinking out life in the ranks of the monsters. His accuracy and power
went unquestioned from that point. When things had become desperate, Jaipe had stepped
forward. Gars, Duel, and the knight and the thief had not been enough to hold at bay the
ranks of short, dark creatures. Then the little girl had raised her hands and chanted
something unheard. She blinked slowly, once, and the world had erupted in a firestorm
seemingly summoned from the depths of Hell. In the deceptive quiet that had followed,
five heads slowly turned towards her.
Now their diminished team was trapped in a vaguely circular hallway. They
continued to follow the same path, over and over, and always ended up in this spot. What
was panicking them was the sounds they heard. Something was coming closer. It
followed them through the circle, but it had never been seen directly. The team was afraid
to split up and scout out, so all they could do was run.
"This is our best chance," said Gars, displaying his map. It showed the first floor,
and the circle of the second, with some point indicated in red. Apparently he intended to
explore that point further.
Amora sighed and slowly stood up. "I'm sorry," he said to the dead young
woman. Little Jaipe sighed too, but she did not cry. She was holding up admirably for
someone so young.
"There's no time. We're leaving," said Duel. Amora looked pained for an instant
before turning away and following his team, Jaipe in hand.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were all of a neutral gray stone. A simple block
pattern that faded detail away, leaving light and shadow to distinguish between what was
near and far. The seemingly lone hallway on this floor was abnormally wide, to the point
where all four of them could walk abreast with room for more.
At another of the haunting sounds on this floor, Gars shot a glance over his
shoulder and frowned. Unconsciously, the team's pace hastened. Soon, they heard the
scraping's intensity increase. A quiet growl sounded unendingly beneath that terrible
scrape, and every so often a ragged breath broke the sound. Even Duel was paled with
fear by the time they made it to the spot Gars had selected. It was a shallow niche in the
wall that seemingly served no purpose. It was not the only discrepancy in the unending
stone wall, but Gars had selected it for a purpose. They had passed it the first few times,
with no reason to inspect it. But now, with whatever it was hunting them down, they were
running out of options.
"Stop," said Duel raggedly. Gars hurried to the task of inspecting the wall, and the
other three fanned out behind him protectively. As he fiddled and tinkered with missing
stones and loose pebbles, the sounds surged one last time. The growl became a furious,
snarling howl, and the creature appeared. A black shadow swooped across a corner of the
floor and halted. It was enormous. But there was nothing there.
"A shadow-?" Jaipe's question was broken by her own frightened sob. Indeed the
demon was nothing but a shadow. If it had owned substance, it would have filled the
entire width of the corridor.
Gars shot a glance over his shoulder but turned his head right back around at the
sight. "Hurry!" snapped Duel. He pulled on an arrow shaft and fired an experimental
shot, but it simply struck the wall behind the shadow and fell to the ground.
The next instant happened all at once. The monster charged and screamed, its
insubstantial claws leaving scratches on the floor in places. Jaipe shot out a hand and
chanted a spell: "Seraph in heaven, open your eyes!" The true form of the demon was
illuminated in a blue light that showed the terrible details of an enormous beast that was
all tooth and claw. And the hidden door behind them opened.
At the sound, all three turned and ran through the opening. It revealed a tiny room
containing only one thing: the now-familiar portal that took them up one level. This one
was different than the first. It too was suspended on a pedastal, but it was circular instead
of square. It was framed in thin stonework instead of gold, and stood on two legs instead
of one. But the swirling, cloudy-white depths that appeared as though they were looking
through a window was exactly the same. Duel was the last one through. In the instant he
lept for his salvation, the doorway exploded with the monster's mass. Then he saw
nothing but the white swirls for a moment before moving on.
He landed with a thud atop poor little Jaipe, who gave a feminine "oof." For many
moments, the four just remained there, breathing and staring. After a while they even
began to take in their surroundings.