Wakespire (The Weirkey Chronicles Book 7), page 8
On the other side, he saw the same Noveni woman from earlier. "Hello! Welcome to-"
"Blessing or curse?" Theo belted out the question as he lifted into the air and flew across the room.
"Uh, curse. I'm alwa-"
"Skip!" He flew over her desk and directly toward the wall. Thankfully, the next portal appeared just before he arrived and he floated into the next cube.
No... not a cube. The chamber's base was the same size and shape as so many others, but when he looked up he saw that the walls extended far higher. There were handholds at various places along them, which he barely noticed compared to the obstacles floating in the air. Not as dense as the maze of blocks, but there were blades and spikes and small floating clusters he had a bad feeling were explosives.
Fortunately, he had no need for the handholds. Theo cast a gravitational field just strong enough that he began accelerating upwards at a slow rate. Given how the challenges had been worsening, he needed to assume that the obstacles would be fast enough and lethal enough that he couldn't simply rush through them.
The first layer was composed of four blades that spun at the same height, occasionally crossing one another. All he needed to do was slip through, then-
"Another team has applied a curse. The difficulty will be intensified."
Stone crumbling below drew his attention and Theo saw the floor fall away into darkness. It looked like the walls were beginning to crumble as well. Even though he was flying, the bottom of the shaft might be composed of spatial manipulation, so he had to hurry.
He slipped through the blades easily enough, then dodged around a series of slamming blocks. A small metal cluster exploded into hundreds of flechettes that swarmed him without warning. Theo instinctively cast a point of anti-mass in front of him, bending their arcs away. But he still couldn't generate a powerful enough effect and few struck him. Most scraped off his coat, but a few penetrated.
Leaving the darts in his flesh, Theo tried to hurry onward before any more could explode. He was half-way up the chamber and ahead of the rising darkness, so all he needed to do was keep up the pace.
"Another team has applied a curse." The voice at least had the decency to sound a little surprised and not repeat the entire phrase.
A wall of stone manifested above him, the length and breadth of the column. It began to descend, scraping against the sides and sweeping up traps as it fell. Theo grimaced and increased his pace while he generated a small singularity between his hands. The wall looked impossible to avoid, so he needed to break through.
When the singularity hit, to his surprise it didn't immediately absorb the wall - it must have been composed of Authority-tier materials. But it was just an obstacle, not a real Authority, so Theo increased the cantae flowing to his singularity. As it finally began consuming the stone, he flew upward and crashed through it, smashing apart the barrier.
He'd taken several injuries on the way from traps that hadn't been consumed, but he was through. Now all that was left...
"Uh... one more curse." As soon as the voice spoke, a second wall of stone plummeted from the ceiling, carrying a swarm of traps along with it.
"Are you kidding me?" Theo barely had time to curse before the wall was on him. He tried to back up or generate another singularity, but it was too late: the stone slammed into his body and threw him down into the darkness.
Theo landed somewhere soft, though he still had a dart digging into his back. His entire body ached from the impact of the stone and the disorientation from the spatial movement was almost as bad. Since his body had taken a beating, Theo didn't try to force it and instead used gravitational fields to lift himself into the air.
He was in some kind of chamber where losing members were dropped, based on the number of injured contestants he saw around him. Well, losing might be relative. As far as he knew, he had been ahead of the crowd for most of the spire, and he thought everyone climbed until they failed. Depending on how their performance was scored, he might have done well.
It was strange that Fiyu and Nauda were nowhere to be seen. Even as he floated out of the room, one of the Dortorus Authorities crashed down behind him and was met by other golden-winged Noveni. Maybe his friends had gone to wait with Guchiro.
Outside the entrance room, Theo noticed a large model of the spire. There were only a few sparks left, and even as he watched, the remaining teams spluttered out. As far as he could tell, everyone in the contest had reached their limits. Just as he began wondering what would happen next, flaming text lit up along one wall.
Wakespire: Second Round
1) Belated Foreigners - 195
2) Dortorus Gamma - 155
3) Terefilia Underclouders - 135
4) Dortorus Alpha - 120
5) Gatrium Lineage - 110
6) Jadadictus Alpha - 105
7) Dortorus Beta - 100
8) Ugustial Beta - 85
9) Jadadictus Beta - 80
Fascinating. They apparently posted a "top nine" instead of ten, though that was a minor cultural curiosity. What mattered more was that Theo and his friends were the "Belated Foreigners" at the top of the chart.
Theo eagerly pored over the numbers, trying to deduce the underlying system. He had the impression that it didn't have a large subjective component based on the round numbers, but there were too many unknown variables. Before he could try any equations, a second wall lit up with flaming text. This one appeared to be the overall rankings for the entire competition and he turned toward them eagerly.
Then powerful cantae grabbed hold of him and tore him from the room. Theo staggered as he was dropped onto polished white flagstones. He was nowhere near the spire now, instead standing on a severed mountaintop.
Fiyu and Nauda were waiting nearby and they smiled at his appearance. He was glad they were alright, but he had no time to greet them. This mountaintop wasn't entirely flat: the flagstones rose toward one end where a series of marble thrones arced around a third of the peak. Noveni princes sat in each of the thrones, watching them impassively.
"So this is the foreign team that caused so much trouble." One of the Noveni had a booming voice, even though he sat leaning against one arm. His eyes narrowed as he looked over them. "It's time to discuss all the suspicious circumstances of your ascent."
Chapter 8
If that morning anyone had asked Theo what he needed, he could have given them a lot of answers. More weirkeys, social capital, lighteggs, and dozens of other sublime materials.
"An inquisition of Noveni princes" would not have been on his list.
Nine princes sat on nine thrones, all of them white-winged except for a couple with gold wings and a slumped old man with black. About half women, but Noven used the title "prince" for basically everyone. Based on his past experience, he presumed that these nine were local powers overseeing the competition. He had been called before an inquisition before and he very much doubted that this one would end so neatly.
"What was suspicious about our ascent?" Theo asked with all the dignity he could muster. That wasn't much, after getting knocked around in the final round, but it helped that his clothes were cleaning and repairing themselves even as he spoke.
"Nothing has yet been proven." The woman sitting in the middle seat shot a glance toward the bored-looking man, then regarded Theo and his allies imperiously. "This inquisition seeks first to reward you for your accomplishments, but also to safeguard the Wakespire against future impropriety."
"Ridiculous," the bored man said, still without leaving his position. "That girl clearly knew every single detail about the room of darkness. These foreigners come out of nowhere, giving the officials no time to investigate them, and then take the first place in the entire competition? It's absurd to pretend they aren't mercenaries planted by some grasping lineage."
"But none of that has been proven," the woman in the center said.
After a pause, a lean man at the end of the row spoke quietly. "Perhaps everyone should remember that Prince Dortorus is hardly a neutral party. The teams from his own lineage performed much worse due to the new arrivals."
"Everyone here is an interested party, stone-fondler." Prince Dortorus managed to scowl at the new speaker without straightening. The other princes responded with neutrality except for one of the younger men, who rolled his eyes.
In theory they could speak for themselves, but in practice as foreigners below Authority, their words carried little weight. Theo gestured for Fiyu to calm herself, since the ongoing argument was clearly distressing her, and tried to understand the balance as quickly as possible. Circumstances had prevented him from going into the political mess with sufficient intelligence, so he'd need to play catch-up.
The woman in the center, whose name he never caught, was clearly playing arbiter and so she was probably the head of the largest lineage. The bored man and the other Dortorus weren't being subtle about pushing their own interests. So far Theo hadn't figured out the lean man who had interrupted, only gotten his name as Prince Jadadictus. None of the others stuck out to him except a grouchy-looking old man with black wings at the opposite end.
"Princes of Ugustial!" Theo spoke up just enough to get their attention, not enough to be rude, and gave his best local bow. "I believe I can explain our misstep. My comrade hails from a world that lacks the brilliance of Noven's suns. They have hindered her every step of the way, but in darkness, she was uniquely suited to guide us."
He gestured toward Fiyu, who didn't need any prompting to look nervous. Compared to all the white and gold, her dark outfit and murky mask certainly stuck out and granted credibility to his argument. Of course, it always came down to power in the end, and his logic would only hold so far.
"The suns didn't seem to slow her down in the other chambers," Prince Dortorus argued. "And this one had that strange hovering ability. They solved the puzzles instantly too. I ask the gathered princes, is it really believable that this team arrived with no knowledge of the test?"
"If you were watching," Theo said before any of the others could speak, "you must have seen us flounder. I still do not understand the intent of the mountaintop room. Might it have been designed for Noveni competitors, leaving us uniquely unsuited to the task?"
Prince Dortorus started to object again, but he was cut off by the black-winged man. "If you dismiss everyone who has soulcrafted themselves an advantage, the whole Wakespire will be pointless." The elderly Noveni, who must have been Ractifus Terefilia, sat back in his chair. "Enough chatter. Give them their rewards and be done with it."
"Not so fast!" Prince Dortorus finally lowered his hand and sat up straight. "They granted their blessing to the Jadadictus team, despite allegedly not knowing them and in return for nothing. What could explain this action?"
Theo started to speak up, but one of the other princes spoke louder. They began to argue with one another and Theo realized that his opportunity might have passed. He thought he had made an impact on a few, so he didn't think the princes would all vote against them, but they were clearly facing an uphill battle in which they had little standing.
At that moment, the cantae of an Authority echoed in the sky. Seconds later, Guchiro was streaking toward them.
Guards emerged from around the mountaintop, including a surprising number of Authorities, though they struck Theo as weak. They raised spears of light, some to defend the plateau and others to arrest Guchiro. Several beams of light emerged and pinned him in place, but judging from his expression, Guchiro was staying there more out of courtesy than anything.
"Oh, isn't that the patron of the team?" One of the younger princes spoke up first and conspicuously swung his head between Guchiro and Fiyu. "They certainly match. Tell me, what Authority class are you?"
"I have not been ranked in your world," Guchiro answered quietly, "but if your guards continue to stand between me and my ward, I will demonstrate my strength for you."
Even though the princes included Authorities and likely even Strongholds, they flinched at his words. The guards lowered their spears and allowed him to the descend to the mountaintop, where he was greeted much more civilly. Again, the power made all the difference - another reason Theo needed to get to Authority as fast as possible.
But that aside, he was intrigued by the hints he'd heard about "classes" of Authorities. As soon as he wasn't rushing between objectives, he wanted to learn more about it.
"My ward and her allies came to participate honestly in your contest." Guchiro folded his arms behind his back and panned his gaze across the thrones while he spoke. "They bring with them both advantages and disadvantages. You may not be aware that Noveni eyesight is far keener than the average in the Nine Worlds, but some of your tests were predicated on it. Decide the rules of your contest as you see fit, but decide them fairly."
None of the others dared respond to his speech, instead exchanging many glances. Prince Dortorus leaned and glowered, Ractifus Terefilia sighed, and the others seemed to agree. After making eye contact with everyone, the leader spoke.
"You will be given full points for the chamber, as already awarded, but in the future this contestant will no longer be able to participate in darkness chambers. No accommodations will be made for the ranged chamber, but all other abilities will be permitted without further objection. Is that agreeable?"
Since all the princes were nodding, Theo had no choice but to agree as well. Actually, he had to suppress a smile. They would regret that wording in the next round.
"If there are no other issues, then let us move on to the rewards." The lead prince gave them all a well-practiced smile even as she waved to the guards. "For taking the first place in today's competition, we have a number of sublime materials for you, in addition to monetary rewards and your choice from the sublime legacy."
The guards came forward two at a time, carrying wide golden chests between them. Some appeared to contain the main rewards or an over-sized book, but the first was set just in front of him and opened. The inside was lined with white silk and contained a number of sublime materials. Shining spheres of metal, chips of ivory, coils of gleaming copper... none of it generating very much cantae.
Since the princes appeared to be speaking to one another, Theo and the others had some time to examine their rewards. "What do we do with this?" Nauda asked.
"I believe these are materials for Immortality Conduits," Guchiro said. "Not worthy compared to the greater prizes, but worthwhile as an additional reward."
"Indeed!" One of the princes beamed down at them. "You've proved yourselves to have great potential, so you deserve long lives to fulfill that potential. But never fear, this is not the end of our generosity. Please accept this small token of money, then you are all permitted one request each from the day's rewards."
The second chest contained a large collection of golden coins - allegedly a thousand "Ustian Shining Crowns" - but he didn't care about that. Theo realized that this city, lacking easy connections to other worlds, likely used its own currency, not even craftgems. Previously he had mostly ignored money because he'd always had enough, but that was going to be harder for him as an older man.
None of that particularly mattered, especially now that the guards were bringing out an over-sized golden book listing the rewards. Theo didn't need to look at it. "For my reward, I want the lighteggs."
The guards immediately moved to open one of the cases, and for a moment Theo thought that his goal was finally within reach. Then Prince Dortorus raised a hand and they all halted. The prince leaned forward, making no effort to hide the falseness of his smile, and boomed at them.
"Let me apologize for my accusations. I will use my prerogative as one of the judges to increase your reward even further: in place of the lighteggs, let us grant you three mighty heavenspears. These sublime materials will allow you to advance to Authority in an instant."
And they probably hindered further development. Theo didn't know what a "heavenspear" was, but he was sure that Prince Dortorus was sabotaging them. Given the politics of Noven, that was likely to be a problem.
"A worthy gift!" one of the older princes said. "With such power, we look forward to your performance in the next round."
"Your generosity is astounding," Theo said. "I don't think our performance deserves so much wealth. The humble lighteggs would be more than enough for us, more than we had dreamed of soulcrafting for this entire competition."
He'd hoped that he could hint that they might leave without basically committing extortion in front of the city's leaders. But as he looked across the faces of the princes, he knew that they wouldn't allow him to refuse. This was technically an improved gift, since ascension materials were far rarer than difficult-to-use substances like the lighteggs. Either the Dortorus teams wanted the eggs for themselves or they were blocking him out of sheer petty spite.
"No, I insist," Prince Dortorus said. His smile sealed it for Theo: the lineages were happy with this outcome and confident that they could stop him from acquiring any further prizes. "Your excellent performance has inspired us, so please take the heavenspears with our blessing."
"Wait." Nauda finally stepped forward, and though she looked uncomfortable at first, she could certainly speak loudly when she wanted to. "Thank you for your unrivaled generosity. Truly, my heart sings that you have fulfilled my companion's request to overflowing. But the lighteggs were his request, not ours. Surely we are allowed to choose as well?"
The princes shifted in surprise and Theo had to suppress the urge to stare at Nauda. It was a bold strategy and he had to admit that he didn't know if it would work. The logic of the way he'd made his request roughly tracked, but it would come down to local culture and politics. He might know this city, but he didn't know it well enough to be sure.
"I fear that my ward will be unable to use your gifts of light," Guchiro said before the princes could speak. "She would be grateful to choose something better suited to her soulhome. We would be happy to return a heavenspear in the spirit of fairness."
Judging from the way Prince Dortorus scowled, that had been a blow well struck. After making so much of his generosity, he couldn't demand his gift back. Still, he leaned on one arm and dug in his heels.
