“Get up, we have to eat and leave,” Arjelica said to them.
Yuri whined and rolled over but the promise of a crest dungeon was irresistible. She stretched and shucked off her sleeping bag like a butterfly leaving its cocoon.
Dee had to force himself out of his sleeping bag and into the cold morning air.
There was no time to waste. They ate a simple breakfast of dry rations and mounted back up to get on the road again.
The paving stones began to disappear the further north they went, until the scattered grey squares became packed earth. If they had left the road for a random direction Dee would have been lost in seconds, wandering through fields and hills of grass.
As the day weaved on, they saw other travellers still, but less and less. There were many other destinations for trade, Copperjack Climb was just one of many places adventurers and traders would be heading for.
The pattern of the days became simple. They would ride past noon, take a rest and some water, and then ride again still late afternoon. As the sun crept lower in the sky they looked out for camping spots. Dee had no idea what they were looking for, but they all seemed to agree on decent spots to camp. As they were alone, they took turns watching at night, three-hour shifts. Dee tried to stay awake with Yuri, but inevitably dozed off each night. And they didn’t trust him well enough to make it his solo duty quite yet.
A couple of days away from Copperjack, Dee asked Arjelica to train him some more. He couldn’t let go of the idea that he should at least learn the basics of how to use his sword.
She took him away from the others, behind some large boulders so they could train in private. She adjusted his grip on his sword, showed him how to swing and tested him, holding her axes and duelling him with them. His honeymetal short sword glinted like liquid gold, but his motions were slow and clumsy. Like he was trapped in honey.
“When you fight, you use your whole body, not just your arms. Your legs, your stomach. Your eyes and ears. Everything! Or you die.”
He was backing up against a tree, trying to escape her relentless attacks. His whole body ached and he felt even more clumsy than when he started. He was trying to breathe, his lungs burnt and his voice was raspy from effort.
Arjelica lunged at him, he brought his sword up, too slow. She kicked him in the stomach, not hard, but it was enough to topple him backwards. He fell against the tree, and slumped against it. His chest was burning and his arms felt like lead.
“I can’t do this,” he gasped. He let the sword drop to the ground.
“Not like that,” she said.
He coughed and tears came into his eyes. It was so stupid to believe he could try to be like her.
“Sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For wasting your time.”
“This isn’t a waste of time. Practice is always valuable.”
She picked his sword up and held it up to the light.
“Are you going to throw this away?” she asked.
“No.”
“You just did. Don’t throw it on the ground like that, you’ll dull the blade.”
She grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. He blinked his eyes and tried to hide his tears.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because I’m stupid and useless.”
“You are stupid. You threw away your sword when you needed it the most. Do you think you can fight me from the floor, without a weapon? What is this a Games Master technique?”
He turned his face away and rubbed at his tears. Learn how to fight from a real warrior? Go from RPG shut-in to armed warrior? It was impossible.
“This is the problem.” She grabbed his head and forced him to look at her.
“Let it out.” She took him by the shoulders and shook him. “Let it out.”
“Let what out?”
“Your anger. You should be angry. Use it.”
“I’m not angry.” He turned his head away from her. He felt shamed not angry.
She sneered at him and let him go. “Try tomorrow.”
She left him leaning against the tree, tears and snot dripping and confusion burning in his brain.
Is this a training technique or does she just hate me?
Nearing the end of the journey, Dee became extremely restless. He awoke one morning, and paced around the camp. He was still embarrassed about the sword-fighting training, maybe that was it. Or was he sick of riding on a giant chicken? Something was bothering him.
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“What are you doing?” Tianna peered at him suspiciously. “Is this one of those irresistible human mating dances? It’s not working, let me tell you!” She scampered off.
“I just feel very… something,” Dee said.
“You have a lot of tension. Remember the dwarf baths, maybe you need some relaxing time?” Emizra sidled up to him.
“You need to level up. You must have enough experience by now to make level 2,” Arjelica said. She was sharpening her axes.
“Wonderful! My little human has been learning so much!” Yuri elbowed between Emizra and Dee and patted him on the head.
So, he needed to level up. That meant visiting a temple. He was impatient to reach Copperjack Climb now.
The closer they came to their destination, the quieter they became. There was a tension, they didn’t know if they dungeon was open already or not. If they made it early, they could be one of the first groups to descend into it. But if it was already open then… none of them wanted to think about that.
Copperjack Climb was built on a huge outcrop of rock, a compact confusion of buildings around the base of a most unusual feature. Dozens of metal towers, smooth like the pistons of a great machine, thrust up into the air. The city buildings crowded around their base like dandruff crust on a hedgehog.
But the tops of towers also bristled with activity. Skyships were docked around the towers, moored at various scaffolds built around the immense metal cylinders. Fat balloon-like cargo ships scudded lazily in and out of the city, alongside much smaller, angular craft, like the pirate ship that had attacked Goldmeadow. The sound of the city was the sound of skyships roaring overhead.
“That’s Copperjack?” he asked. He felt stupid having to ask, what else could it be.
“Copperjack Climb,” Emizra said. “The spires are roosts for all the birds that come to settle and rest, be they vulture or hawk.”
“It’s a neutral skyport for pirates and anyone else?”
“Just so.”
“How did they build those pillars?” Dee asked.
“Nobody built it,” Tianna said. She shook her head and shot him a disapproving look.
“During the revolution the rebels unleashed the Metal node, and that happened.” Arjelica nodded up to the metal spires.
“The power of an ethereal crest, to raise cities. Or raze them,” Emizra said.
“It was an Ancient device, waiting to be activated,” Yuri said.
Arjelica scoffed under her breath.
“We’ll see. We’re going to find all sorts of evidence in the dungeon. I’ll have lots of notes to take. Oh, an ethereal dungeon, so many crevices of magic sneaking into the world, what a wonder!”
“It was a blessing from the Gods, because it makes it a perfect docking spot for skyships. Do you know how many trade routes that opens up?” Tianna said.
“I’m sure you’ll tell us,” Yuri said with disinterest.
“No, you’re obviously not interested! Oh, just wait till I get to the market, ha! May the Kingfisher watch over my deals.” Tianna urged Little Cluckins on. Her cargo barrow bounced along behind it. Dee was curious about what she was carrying, but he still had no idea how to talk to her. There was a lot he wanted to know about the Gods, like why the others prayed to level up but didn’t talk about the Gods at all apart from that, and why Tianna followed the Kingfisher but prayed at a Dwarf temple of a different god. Did it matter? It was important information to understand about this world, but it was hidden behind her impenetrable suspicion that he was trying to seduce her.
“I have some rumours to track down,” Emizra handed her reins to Arjelica and dropped from her steed. She skipped away into the crowds of the streets, humming a tune to herself.
They followed Tianna. Dee tried to get a feel for this new location.
Idle danger lurked in this city. Goldmeadow had walls and guards in uniforms that showed there was an organised power in control. Here, everybody was armed, even if it was a simple sheathed dagger in their belt. People looked up to watch them pass, briefly. It was important to be aware of who was nearby. It made Dee’s stomach knot. He shifted and patted his sword just to make sure it was there.
“Not that way,” Tianna said as Arjelica tried to head down an alleyway.
Arjelica turned and let Tianna point her to another direction. He craned his neck to see what was down there, but it looked like an empty street. Still, Tianna could sense danger. Dee was relieved he was with experienced adventurers. He wouldn’t survive on his own in a place like this. It felt worse than a dungeon. He just wanted to get to an inn and shut himself inside his room.
But his curiosity distracted him a little from the feeling of panic. Dotted around the chaos of alleyways and roads he saw the same statue again and again. A group of dwarves and humans, picks and axes held aloft. They were old and weathered, but untouched by any vandalism. Even if the buildings around them were daubed with graffiti or crude carved insults, the statues were all left clean. Something important to the locals.
Parts of the city were shaded by the upper-market, a network of walkways and platforms suspended between the docking pylons. Shouts and the sound of skyships filtered down from above, alongside the occasional stray tool or package. They would land with a thud and a burst of dust or dirt, only to be quickly snatched up by anybody lounging nearby. It was evidently finders’ keepers in Copperjack Climb.
Dee took out his book to see if there was anything in it. Indeed, there was:
Copperjack Climb
Neutral Skyport
Population: 19000
Demographics: Dwarf, Human, Pook, Goblin
Lvl 2 Temple of Lady Moonspur
A neutral skyport built on the bloody bones of revolution. Lawless and dangerous, rich in metal ores and trade goods. Local guilds snuff out criminal vendettas that threaten stability.
Below is a Lvl 2 Metal Dungeon, Copperjack Cellars. Dormant since the revolution but occasionally active with minor threats.
Emizra emerged from an alley and beckoned them over. The others gathered around her.
“The dungeon is not open yet. I hear rumours it will be tomorrow. We should stake out the entrance tomorrow morning and get in there as soon as possible. There are a few other parties in the know.”
“My little human needs to level up, that’s a priority.”
“I’m going to the markets.” Tianna wheeled her steed onwards towards a nearby trade elevator.
“I’ll get a room near the dungeon, go to the temple,” Arjelica said.
The temple was a huge tower, though smaller than the metal pylons around it. White marble, carved with designs spiralling around it. The pure white marble stood out above the cluttered buildings around it, as if it had always been there and would be there long after everything around it disappeared. A white geometric cloud resting on the surface of the earth.
Inside the temple grand circular windows let in sheets of light that illuminated the floor. There were many worshippers, sitting and praying, some staring up at the god’s statue, others with their eyes closed.
The temple floor was built like an amphitheatre, circular steps in tiers descending to the central statue of Lady Moonspur, cradling something in her arms. She was carved as a dwarf, wearing long white robes. Her hair was light grey, her face looking upwards towards one of the grand windows.
There were many praying in groups or alone, sitting on the steps, their eyes cast down at Lady Moonspur. Humans, dwarves and even pook and goblins. All gathered together. This felt like the heart of the city. There were mechanics, dirty and grease covered with heavy leather aprons, traders with fine gold rings shining here and there and miners, hunched low with calloused hands that had dug deep into the earth for its riches. Adventurers too, dotted about, worn travelling clothes and equipment, here to level up.
He sat down to pray. He remembered the feeling before when he didn’t have enough experience to level. Now it was time to reach level 2.