by A F Kay
Madda interrupted Ruwen again. “Child, please stop stalling. My heart can’t take it. Are they going to let you live?”
“And did you reach the summit?” Padda asked quietly.
Ruwen raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I assumed you already knew. Like some sort of soul notification or—”
“God help me, you are as bad as Sift,” Madda said and grabbed Ruwen’s left arm. She turned his wrist up. “Show us your mark.”
Ruwen figured she meant the Bamboo Viper mark, not his Shattered Sun or Black Pyramid marks. With a thought, the Bamboo Viper mark appeared.
The black lines now had colors. The bamboo looked green and the viper’s outline had the dark purple color of the Elder Viper. “It has color now,” Ruwen said in surprise.
“Congratulations,” Padda said. “The color outline means you can attempt the Master’s trial. If you succeed, the entire mark becomes colored in.”
Madda stepped up, pulled him to his feet, and hugged him. “I’m proud of you.”
Warmth filled Ruwen’s body. “Thank you.”
Madda let him go and locked eyes with Ruwen. “Did anyone offer you further training?”
“That’s what I was trying to say earlier. Dusk was there with Mist and Thorn, but I couldn’t see her. But then I saw this arrow—” Both Addas frowned, and he stopped. Taking a moment to summarize his thoughts, he tried again. “Dusk offered me a path, even though Mist and Thorn think it’s pointless.”
That place is interesting, Rami said.
By interesting you mean nightmare.
Padda spoke to Ruwen. “The Founders worry about your soul?”
Ruwen nodded. “Evidently Mist can’t sense it, and they made a big deal about how much stuff is on it. I have to admit, moving near the summit took some effort.”
The Addas didn’t respond and Ruwen grew nervous. “Should I be worried?”
Madda bit her lip and a moment later Padda placed his hands on Ruwen’s shoulders. “Worry is a trap that snares action. There are three reasons you will succeed.” Padda waited until Ruwen looked at him before continuing. “One, you had the strength to reach the summit. Two, Dusk offered you a Grandmaster path despite her sisters’ concerns. Third, souls, like all things, grow. Meditate on that.”
Ruwen’s chest tightened, and his throat constricted. He nodded at Padda, not trusting himself to talk.
Padda leaned back and Madda spoke. “We wish your permission to carve a place out in Fractal for ourselves. Miranda has told us about your dungeon, and we would like to help.”
Ruwen controlled his breathing and heart rate. The Addas probably wanted to help, but more likely they wished to be near Sift, and granting them access to Fractal would make them awfully close. Sift would kill him.
“I thought you came to the Black Pyramid to escape my world,” Ruwen said.
“That’s true,” Madda said. “Like Miranda, we feel the need to stretch our legs. And if what she says is true, Fractal will be of significant benefit to Cultivators.”
The Addas were allies, at least Ruwen hoped they were. They hadn’t talked about killing him today, anyway. And if they were in Fractal, they could help defend the fledgling dungeon. Ruwen owed Fractal all the help he could provide. Plus, Sift didn’t need to know his parents were there.
“Of course, you are both welcome,” Ruwen said.
Ruwen thought back to the oath he’d given Ky right before he’d stepped through his first gate rune portal. She had required a soul oath and required him to keep secrets and help others who had the Black Pyramid mark. But he wasn’t running a global spy network and didn’t need to go to such extremes. Really, he only cared about one thing, protecting Fractal.
Remembering how Ky had transferred her mark, Ruwen took Madda’s right hand and placed his right wrist over her’s. “Madda, do you promise to do Fractal no harm, or knowingly allow harm to befall him. And furthermore, do you agree to provide Fractal with an item of at least Fine quality once per month to aid in his development?”
Madda smiled. “I do.”
“Then I, Dungeon Master of the Shattered Sun, on behalf of Dungeon Keeper Fractal, do hereby grant you our mark.”
Ruwen’s wrist burned and he forced himself to remain still. Madda didn’t show any signs of discomfort, but that was probably just her training. The pain passed and he removed his wrist.
The mark of the Shattered Sun glowed on Madda’s wrist. Once again, Ruwen marveled at the deep yellow-orange sphere that shimmered as if intense heat radiated from its surface. Dark rifts covered the surface as the exploding star cracked. Hundreds of bright spears shone brightly as they escaped the star’s destruction. He could feel the heat emanating from the mark.
Madda looked up at Ruwen, her eyes wide. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen its equal.”
Ruwen grinned, unable to suppress his pride. He repeated the process with Padda.
Padda met Ruwen’s gaze. “Congratulations again on your achievement. We will contact you when it’s time for your Master’s trial.”
Madda hugged him again, and then they left.
It worries me that Blapy and the Addas are returning to my world after such a long time.
Add it to your list.
Was that sarcasm.
You worry a lot. And we have bigger problems than the Addas’ travel plans.
Ruwen looked up at the counter under his map. His parents might have already revived. You’re right, as usual. One quick stop before we head back.
Walking to the apartment door, Ruwen sighed with relief at seeing his gear. He quickly dressed in the brown Worker clothes, added the Fastidious Blade and Spirit Infused Baton of a Thousand Uses to his belt, and put on his jewelry. Thankfully, the Coiled Lightning Rings no longer shocked him. Lastly, he put on his Hooded Pacifist’s Cloak of Wandering. It felt good wearing all his gear again.
Ruwen touched his wrist to the wall. “Lower library.”
A portal opened and Ruwen entered the lower library for the first time. He stepped away from a wall covered in tiny squares of colored glass. The mosaic depicted a massive Octorse, a book in each of its tentacles.
Moving away from the rear wall of the library, Ruwen found a gigantic pool to his right, at least three hundred feet wide and more than double that long. It extended out of the library and into a river. The water appeared transparent, and only the strange warping of the creatures in the pool made it obvious they were in liquid.
White sand dunes covered the floor, and to the right a wall of coral acted as bookshelves. Strands of kelp stretched to the water’s surface and books hung off them like leaves. A mermaid hovered in front of a book, before circling around to another.
Ruwen looked up to find the library had no ceiling. Clouds were visible and various sized platforms partially blocked the view. A grey dragon the size of Ruwen’s house back in Deepwell landed on one of the larger platforms and moved out of sight.
Turning to his left, a pool of magma twenty feet across bubbled lazily. A creature vaguely like an alligator crawled out of the lava and moved into a stark landscape of pumice and flames. Thin rectangle columns rose out of the rock and the alligator moved to one. The rectangle glowed with script as if lava moved through it.
“Greetings, Ink Disciple,” Qwyn said.
Ruwen turned and smiled at the spider. “I have you to thank for the new title. Great job.”
Qwyn briefly placed her head on the ground. “It is a pleasure to be in the stacks again.”
“This isn’t what I expected,” Ruwen said.
“The more humanoid stacks are deeper in the library. You are in the elemental portion. Would you like to tour the other sections?”
Ruwen looked up at the sky. The platforms he could see had beautiful gold and blue colors. “I would love to, but I can’t.” He couldn’t tell if that disappointed Qwyn, but he felt the need to explain. “My life is complicated, and I’m afraid it will only get worse. I’m already late for something important.”
> “I am sorry to hear that,” Qwyn said.
Ruwen looked at the spider. She sounded sincere, and he hadn’t forgotten how she’d stayed at the library and worked for terrible wages under the last Ink Lord. Her love of knowledge and books resonated with Ruwen. He’d only ever felt that with the librarian in Deepwell, Tremine.
“I don’t know when I’ll return,” Ruwen said.
Rami, can I delegate my authority?
Yes. But you retain responsibility. If they misuse your Custodial powers, you will suffer the consequences.
Ruwen enjoyed doing things himself. He liked to think things through and be logical. Most people didn’t though, and the risk of being punished for someone else’s mistake made him anxious. He had already provided Qwyn with enough funds to make the library much better. It didn’t need his presence to thrive.
The more Ruwen thought about it, the more he realized not being here might be better, but not for the reason he’d originally thought. He’d assumed things would work better with his guidance, but what did he know about flaming books and underwater shelves. And if the last two months had taught him anything, it was that he needed the help of others if he wanted to succeed.
Ruwen faced Qwyn. “I don’t want the library to suffer because of my absence.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Controlling everything in his life had become impossible. As soon as he returned home, rebuilding New Eiru would start in earnest. He needed to become more comfortable with delegation. “I am promoting you from Senior Librarian to Chief Librarian and granting you my Custodial powers. Your first job will be to hire a new Senior Librarian. From now on, you will focus on the strategic issues facing our library.”
Qwyn’s entire body vibrated, and she lowered it to the ground. Her legs continued to twitch.
Ruwen continued. “I have two conditions. One, do what you think is right for the creatures here, not what you think I would want. Two, set aside five percent of the budget for me. I need to open a branch location and I’ll need funds for that.”
“Your trust in me is humbling,” Qwyn whispered. “I joyously accept.”
“The Black Pyramid is the most amazing place I’ve ever seen. I want our library to reflect that. I know you do, too. Good luck, Chief Librarian.”
Qwyn lowered her head to the ground, and Ruwen returned the bow. He strode to the rear wall, admiring the mosaic. Once again, he had run out of time here in Blapy.
New Eiru, and his parents, were waiting.
Chapter 37
Ruwen stepped into his room in New Eiru, Whiskers right behind him. His clock read 9:17 PM. Ten leeches appeared on his face, neck, and arms, and he dropped into the third meditative level to stop from panicking.
Sunset had passed here, and the Amulet of Leeches hadn’t fed on anything today. That meant they’d feed on Ruwen. They each did one to three damage every five seconds for a minute. He stood in his room, arms away from his body, eyes closed, and waited until it was over. Maybe the women were right about this amulet, and he should replace it.
With ten slimy leeches hanging from Ruwen’s body, the minute seemed to take forever. When it had, Ruwen mentally spoke to Lir. Are my parents done reviving?
Yes. They finished fifty-eight minutes ago. No abnormalities.
And Hamma’s dad?
Completed sixty-two minutes ago. No abnormalities.
Can you update my map with everyone’s locations, please.
Done.
Open the doors for Whiskers, please. Thank you.
Of course, Architect Starfield.
Ruwen looked at the large cat and wondered if giving commands required the interface. “Scout the city, please.”
Ruwen’s door opened and Whiskers dashed out, hopefully headed to scout the city, and not just take a nap somewhere. The edges of Ruwen’s map had turned yellow from Lir’s update, which reminded him of his minimized notifications. He opened his map and found his parents along with Tremine in the room they’d been using as a dining hall. Excitement and anxiety warred inside his stomach, making him feel a little nauseous despite all his buffs.
Glancing in the mirror, he tried to smooth his hair. Rod Spider blood had covered him the first night in Blapy, and it had solidified into something like stone. He’d needed to cut the blood out of his hair, which had left it short and spikey. Since nothing grew in the Spirit Realm, that haircut had happened less than a week ago, or maybe two weeks if you counted the time compression in Blapy. Keeping track of all the timelines was a headache.
You’re not making it any better, Rami said. Quit stalling.
Ruwen left his room and headed for the dining hall. He brought up the minimized notifications that had appeared shortly after he’d returned to Blapy.
Ting!
You have completed the Quest – Watch your Step.
You have received Clan approval for Master assessment.
You have received Mentorship in the Shadow Grandmaster path upon becoming a Master.
You have received 30,000 experience (25,000*(1.2 Tutor Modifier))!
Ruwen opened the next notification.
Ding!
Uru’s Blessings, Worker! You have reached level 23.
You have gained +1 to Strength!
You have gained +1 to Stamina!
You have 2 unassigned points.
Uru’s Blessings, Root! You have reached level 23.
You have 2 unassigned points.
New Spells and Abilities are available to you. Choose wisely.
Level twenty-three, Ruwen could hardly believe it. He looked at his experience.
Experience:1,705/276,000
The extra twenty percent from the Tutor buff was responsible for Ruwen leveling again so soon. Including this level’s gains, he had a banked four Attribute points, eleven spell points, and twelve Ability points. He needed to distribute these soon. Maybe after catching up with his parents.
Ruwen’s stomach twisted in nervousness. Why was he so anxious? He opened the next notification.
Ting!
You have received the quest…
Last Steps
You have demonstrated your worth to the Bamboo Viper Clan and received permission to prove your Mastery in the trial. If successful, Dusk has found you worthy of the Shadow Steps.
Reward: Bamboo Step Master
Reward: Viper Step Master
Reward: Shadow Step Grandmaster path
Reward: 50,000 experience
Accept or Decline
Ruwen chose Accept, and wondered what the Master’s trial might entail. Maybe Sift would know. Ruwen looked at the next notification.
Tring!
You have discovered…
Name: Soul Pearl (Lesser)
Quality: Uncommon
Weight: 0.2 lbs.
Effect: +2 Charisma when worn as jewelry.
Effect: Soul energy sink.
Description: A small translucent sphere. Pearl will glow in proportion to soul energy absorbed.
Ruwen needed to make this pearl glow, but it required he find his soul first. He hoped that wasn’t as difficult as Mist and Thorn implied. He cycled through the other notifications.
Tring!
You have discovered…
Name: Soul Fruit of Revelation
Quality: Special
Weight: 0.1 lbs.
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: Perception increased by 300%.
Effect: Senses increased by 200%.
Description: Small red fruit with a sweet and sour taste. Many look but few see.
Tring!
You have discovered…
Name: Soul Fruit of Potency
Quality: Special
Weight: 0.1 lbs.
Duration: 15 minutes
Effect: +30 Strength.
Effect: +30 Stamina.
Effect: +30 Agility.
Description: Small green fruit with a very sweet taste. Some problems are only solved with overwhelming power.
Tr
ing!
You have discovered…
Name: Soul Fruit of Obscurity
Quality: Special
Weight: 0.1 lbs.
Duration: 30 minutes
Effect: Invisible to observers with a Perception under 400%.
Restriction: Aggressive, loud, or sudden movements decrease Perception threshold.
Description: Small black fruit with a sweet and tart taste. Out of sight is out of mind.
The fruit appeared to have made the trip back in good shape. Ruwen hoped Fractal could grow these in the dungeon. It would be fantastic to have a steady source of these amazing fruits.
Ruwen closed the notifications and stopped in front of the dining hall door. Low voices came from the other side, and he placed his hand on the handle. He stood like that, frozen.
What’s wrong? Rami asked.
Ruwen shrugged, his throat tight. They’ll blame me for taking so long to find them.
We both know that’s dumb. What you’ve accomplished since your Ascendancy is astounding.
Ruwen looked down at the handle. They’ll be disappointed in me.
Why? Is this about your Worker Class again? Even someone with your mental handicaps can see that worked out well.
They don’t know that, though.
Your parents never appeared prejudiced in your memories. They seemed open minded actually. In fact, considering what they knew about you, and how they let you live your life, they were amazingly tolerant. If you were my kid, I would have forced you into combat training from—
Rami stopped as Ruwen went completely still. Oh, this is about all the secrets.
Ruwen shrugged again.
Rami remained quiet for a few seconds, and in a soft voice continued. My mom has more secrets than stars in the sky. I hate that she has them. But now, I recognize a little why she does.
Why?
A combination of love and protection.
Ruwen stood up straight. What? Love is a reason to not keep them.