Book 2 Chapter 8

When Diya released the pedestal, the vision ended. He found himself standing in front of the upgrade station with Gwyneth clinging to his side. The upgrade station's runes dimmed, losing their bright white and sapphire shades. Diya didn’t recall the monolith’s lights lingering during his last upgrade. On looking around, he discovered dozens of eyes were focused on him. They lingered for a second but looked away as soon as the lights had all faded.

“In Gaia’s name, Diya!” Gwyneth exclaimed. “What the hell was that?”

“What do you mean?” Diya asked.

“You just made enough light to alert the entire settlement. I hope it was worth it.”

“It really was.” Diya struggled to hold back a grin. “I’ve got a new summon slot and—”

“That man’s been watching us ever since we left the shadows,” Gwyneth said, cutting him off.

Following her eyes, Diya spotted who she was talking about. The man fidgeted when his eyes met Diya’s. He wore a sailor’s shirt, coat and trousers, all in dark colours. He'd stand out if not for the throngs of sixth-floor dwellers in the hub. The lack of identifiable house colours or crests didn’t put Diya at ease. It could only mean the individual was a spy or an assassin sent after them.

When the man left his position across the square and started walking towards Diya, he took Gwyneth’s hand and headed away from him towards the market streets. If the man were alone, Diya would happily face him. Even though Diya hadn’t tested his new spells or abilities yet, he was confident that a lone individual wouldn’t be a challenge—unless they had abilities like Edgar’s.

At first, Gwyneth tried to keep Diya from running. His wounds were still healing, after all. Walking at a brisk pace for a long time was enough to make the wound protest and get winded. Diya felt better than ever, though. He lifted his shirt to check the angry red scab from earlier in the day, but it had already dried and was falling away. In fact, Diya felt much better than he had in the last couple of weeks.

“That rarely happens!” Gwyneth exclaimed, breathing heavily as Diya increased the pace. “The soul must have used the card’s excess energy to accelerate your body’s healing.” She paused as they turned a corner into a busy street. The crowds kept them from breaking into a jog but enabled them to blend in with similarly dressed people. “That doesn’t mean you should make a habit of getting hurt, though. I’ll bet it's just a one-time thing.” Gwyneth peeked over her shoulder. “He’s still following us.”

“Do you see anyone else, though?” Diya asked, summoning the gauntlet. “He probably knows this floor well, so getting away from him will be near impossible. We’ll need to face him sooner or later, but I’d like to know how many we’re up against first.”

“I don’t see anyone else yet.”

The pair continued to explore the market. Instead of just continually walking at a brisk pace, they occasionally paused at stalls, pretending to peruse the wares on offer. They were sure the pursuers wouldn’t dare attack in the middle of a crowded street. Fellow climbers would jump to their defence and drive the attacker away. Sooner or later, they’d have to leave the hub, though. So, Diya started picking paths that led down streets with fewer people. Eventually, the pair found themselves in a dark alley without another soul in sight.

Once they were far enough within the shadows, Gwyneth summoned her soul. She had been forced to abandon her staff when they first entered the carts. For the sake of anonymity, she kept the light extinguished. Meanwhile, Diya summoned the Piercing Shadowfrost Lance. It was a tier-two variant of the frostfire lance for when they needed stealth. He handed the weapon to Gwyneth and lauded Ink Vines into his gauntlet.

Time warped as Diya waited for their pursuer to appear. Every passing heartbeat extended to feel like an eternity, and he listened to Gwyneth’s breathing to help keep track of time. The hooded figure passed the alley’s mouth at first but then circled back a moment later. He stood at the mouth motionlessly for several minutes before entering.

The pair stayed low as the stranger headed towards them. Diya left himself somewhat visible to lure the man in. The pursuer cautiously entered the alley, and much to the pair’s relief, no one followed him. Diya waited until the man was within Gwyneth’s attack-spell range before speaking.

“Hold it right there,” Diya said, keeping the axe hidden but pointed. “Why are you following us?”

The man raised his hands into the air, showing that they were empty. “I just want to talk,” he said, continuing to approach the pair. “Your soul’s signature at the upgrade station gave you away.”

Diya wasn’t aware that the stone monoliths housed identifying features. They’d need to be extra careful when upgrading Gwyneth’s spirit. “Don’t come any closer.” Diya raised his voice, willing the ink vines to swell around the launcher barrel. “I’m not joking, mate,” he continued when the man didn’t slow. “Killing fellow Climbers is something I’d rather avoid. If push comes to shove, though, I won’t hesitate.”

The man froze. When he reached into his coat, Diya fell into a defensive stance. He pulled his right hand back, ready to throw the axe. Now that he had the Frost Blade, throwing his primary weapon was no longer an issue. Diya’s heart quickened when the man pulled a palm-sized disk out of his pocket. He imagined a multitude of attacks. The De Lawneys knew of hollow souls after all. There could be an attack spell coming his way.

“I’m from the Free Trade Federation!” The pursuer exclaimed just before Diya unleashed his attack. “Lydia asked me to find you.”

“Can you give us some light, Gwyn,” Diya said out loud.

Gwyneth raised her lantern over their heads and let it illuminate the alley. Diya sighed in relief, realising the frightening disk was the FTF’s compass. The stranger had pulled it out as proof of his identity. Diya returned the axe to his belt but kept the gauntlet summoned.

“You could’ve taken that off a corpse, so I’m keeping my gauntlet out for now.” Diya waved Gwyneth out of her hiding spot. She had revealed her position already but had tools to defend herself in case things went south. “How did you find us?”

“The Boleyn family’s former recruiter had your initial spirit’s data,” the man answered. “Lydia bought the information from her. What happened on the fifth floor is no secret, either. She sent me up here to wait for you.” He put the compass away before approaching the pair. “The De Lawneys have spies hanging around looking for the two of you. So, my colleague and I have been watching the gate and the upgrade stations awaiting your arrival. People don’t stay on the sixth floor for long unless their spirits are designed for it.”

Diya let his muscles relax but didn’t dispel the gauntlet. He approached the FTF’s messenger, and Gwyneth followed close behind him. She had held onto the summoned spear, and its shiny black head emitted a menacing aura.

“Now that the how is out of the way, perhaps you can fill us in on the why,” Diya said. “I’m sorry that we ran and then went on the offensive.”

The man chuckled. “It’s fine. To be honest, I expected as much. You’ve got the De Lawneys out for your blood, and the Boleyns aren’t particularly happy with you either.” He got a black, leather-bound book out of his pocket and handed it to Diya. “This is a map of the interval. We control multiple areas and doors on the eighth and ninth floors. Using them will give you secure passage through the floor and if you get into trouble, fall back to them for backup.”

“Thank you.” Diya accepted the gift and leafed through the guidebook. It was more detailed than the one from the first interval. The book didn’t just house floor maps but more detailed ones of critical areas, locations controlled by the FTF, and information about powerful creatures roaming the area. “This is going to help a hell of a lot. Thank you.”

“Just doing my job,” the man said. “I’m Marcus Amare Freeman, for the record. It’s nice to meet you, Diya.” Marcus chuckled again, looking the pair up and down. “In the future, don’t stop and set up an ambush. Most enforcers in this interval will have already upgraded their souls and hell of a lot more experience using them than you. Lydia has told us about your background, and I understand you’re confident in your combat skills. The family enforcers are skilled enough with their souls to match or crush you, though.” He shook Diya’s hand and looked him straight in the eye. “If I wanted to kill either of you, I would’ve bought time or kept you in position until my friends got here. Considering the fact you’ve been in the interval for less than a month, your chances of survival would be low to none against two to three experienced enforcers.”

Diya didn’t know how to react to the statement. When he and Gwyneth looked over their shoulders, Marcus burst out laughing. “It’s just a warning, of course,” he continued. “Next time you’re in such a position, keep running.”

“I don’t know if I’d be out of line asking you for a favour or not, but could you get a message out to my father?” Diya asked. “He works for the Boleyns, and his life could be in danger.”

Marcus sighed. “New Calcutta’s noble houses are so much worse than the ones on the mainland. The close proximity to Gaia’s power probably goes to their heads.” He withdrew a roll of paper from his pocket and leafed through them until he found a blank piece. “Write down your message, and I’ll pass it down the chain. It should reach him in a couple of days.”

Diya thanked Marcus and wrote out a short letter. He wanted to get in touch with Kartik too to find out whether he’d made the trade or sale but thought it would be asking too much. Gwyneth guided the lamp to float closer to them, giving him enough light to write.

“Anything else?” Marcus asked when Diya finished. “Lydia and the chairmen are pleased with your discovery on the first floor and are awaiting more. So, they’re eager to see you grow. We’re keeping an eye on De Lawney movement and will update you whenever you encounter our forces.”

“Could you keep an eye out for a Boleyn party as well?” Gwyneth asked. “We would’ve gotten here sooner if not for the near-fatal injury Diya suffered at their hands. They might have a couple of De Lawney men in tow.”

“Of course.” Marcus nodded, whipping out a little notebook to take notes. “Any identifying features we can use to recognise them?”

“The arsehole that stabbed him wears a coat made of crimson flower petals and carries a staff with hibiscus flowers on top.” She used the spear as a walking stick, approaching Marcus. “They have a white wolf summon in the party too.”

“Noted,” Marcus replied, scribbling in his notebook. He addressed Diya as he continued. “I understand you’re affiliated with the Boleyns. Would you like us to treat the party as hostiles? The FTF’s parties don’t wear the company logo—”

“That won’t be necessary,” Diya said. “It’s one bad apple among former allies.”

“Very well.” Marcus nodded, putting away his notebook. “I’d advise you to buy supplies and get out of the hub as quickly as possible. There are a few De Lawneys around looking out for your black ink and the lantern. Make sure there’s no one following you before venturing towards a door or challenging a significant threat.”

The pair thanked Marcus again before bidding him goodbye. Things weren’t going to be easy, but the FTF’s support gave him hope.