TS5: Chapter 15 (Patreon)

"Is that him over there?" Following Mina's finger, Thorn's gaze swept over the market they were walking through.

They were outside of the tower in one of the largest markets, wandering around as they waited for Stello to arrive. Seeing a nondescript human carrying a staff walking towards them, Thorn nodded.

“Yes. I’m impressed you picked him out.”

“It’s faint, but I can sense some of the unique totem techniques you used on his artifact,” Mina said. “I doubt anyone else would be able to, but I’ve been hanging around you long enough to pick some things up.”

As he got close, the human reached up, touching his jaw. A moment later, his body and face began to change, revealing a broad-shouldered elf with long red hair.

"Good to see you, Stello," Thorn said, stepping forward and offering one of his large hands for a handshake.

Taking Thorn's offered hand, Stello smiled.

"It would seem I owe you another favor," he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've gotten word that the Vantor clan has called off their search, undoubtedly an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the Grandmaster Blacksmith," Stello said, a small smile on his lips. "But more than that, your mask has allowed me to pass unhindered wherever I want. Truly a powerful artifact."

"I'm glad it has served you well," Thorn said. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the team. This is my wife, Velin, our mage, Mina, Corvo's our scout, and Alph, our alchemist and last resort."

Bringing his fist to his chest, Stello bowed in a warrior's salute, greeting each of the team members individually.

"My name is Stello, disciple of the Lone Wanderer, Master of the Flame Blade."

"It's nice to meet you, Stello. Thorn has told us of your considerable skill," Velin said. "I'm glad to hear you'll be joining us."

Feeling a claw poking his cheek, Thorn grinned and grabbed Akira down from his shoulder, holding her up for Stello to see.

"And this is Akira, who gets really annoyed when I don't introduce her."

Bowing once more, Stello looked over the team with some astonishment in his eyes.

"I had assumed that any party Thorn formed would be powerful," he said. "But for a team that has not yet entered the tower, I must admit, your strength is beyond what I imagined."

"Why don't we go get some food," Thorn said. "We can get to know each other and talk about the upcoming adventure."

Heading back to the restaurant they had graced before, Thorn and the others enjoyed a light meal while they chatted. When Thorn had first met Stello, the elf had been fairly reticent, unwilling to share details about his life. Yet now he seemed considerably more comfortable, and spoke calmly, regaling the team with stories from his time climbing the tower and studying under his master. Though Thorn was curious about the change, he just chalked it up to the reduced levels of stress Stello was probably under. While they were waiting for dessert, he brought the topic of conversation around to the reason they were joining forces.

"Stello, have you ever been to the Temple of Man?" He asked, causing the elven swordsman to shake his head.

"No. The temple doesn't particularly like my master, and the feeling is reciprocated. We haven't had much involvement."

"I see. Well, that's going to be our first stop. We're not exactly sure when Urmag’Tal's puzzle is going to open up, but I'd like to be in position when it does. I have a feeling I'm still going to need to compete for one of the spots, and will need to be at the Temple of Man to do that. My thought is, if everyone's okay with it, we'll head over there tomorrow. Does that work for you?"

"It does," Stello nodded. "I've taken care of everything I needed to, so I'm free to go anytime."

"Good. We'll head to the Temple of Man, hopefully meet up with Consecrate Kendal, and try to figure out what's going on. I imagine that there's going to be some politicking for the five slots the Temple of Man has, and I'd like as much as possible to avoid it."

"If there are only five slots, how are we all going to get in?" Mina asked, gesturing to the group.

"The five slots are for the Ascendants," Thorn said. "Each Ascendant is apparently allowed to bring a team in. That's what Consecrate Kendal said, at least."

"Is there a limit to the size of the team?"

"No more than ten. We'll have eight, not counting Hati," Thorn said, watching as one of the servers put down a massive tray of some sort of chocolate cake, drizzled with caramel sauce, and covered in a light, fluffy cream. "Velin, Alph, Consecrate Kendal, Stello, Akira, and I are all in the ninth tier. Mina, you're almost in the ninth tier, and Corvo is close to the eighth. Overall, our team should do just fine.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of information on who we’re up against,” Velin said, serving Thorn a slice of the cake. “We'll be competing against four other teams from the Temple of Man, as well as five teams from the Council of Gods. If each team can bring in ten people, that means there's going to be a hundred of us, all competing against each other. Do you know what the typical tier of our opponents will be?"

Thorn had just taken a bite, so instead of replying to Velin's question, he shook his head.

"Mm, this is delicious," he said, rapidly finishing polishing off the cake he had put on his plate, and getting another piece.

Stello, who had been looking around the table with some astonishment, turned to Thorn. "Are you all naturals?" he asked, his tone slightly suspicious.

It took Thorn a moment to understand what Stello was actually asking, but remembering the conversation they'd had between Stello and Sparky back in the Renith ruins, Thorn nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "In fact, I think everyone on our side is a natural."

"What's a natural?" Velin asked.

"It's when somebody can grow to the ninth tier without entering the sixth floor of the tower," Thorn said. "At least that's how it's been described to me."

"That's correct," Stello said. "But to find seven of you gathered in one place, that's just, well, it's impressive."

Stifling a small smile, Mina helped herself to more cake, as Velin chuckled.

"Is something funny?" Stello asked, seeing the sheepish grin on Thorn's face. "Did I say something funny?"

"No," Thorn said, "but sometime you should visit Verdant. There are a few more of us over there."

"What do you mean?" Stello asked, his brow furrowing.

"It's hard to describe," Thorn said, helping himself to another piece of cake. "When we're done with Urmag’Tal's puzzle, you can come to Verdant and I'll show you."

The next morning, the team gathered up. Thorn had spent the night repairing the damage that Ursa the Tyrant's blows had caused to his armor and putting together a new set of armor for Stello as well. He hadn't been completely sure if the Elven Swordmaster was going to join them, but once Stello had arrived, he spent a few minutes finding out what sort of armor Stello preferred to wear. To his surprise, Stello removed the cloak he wore, revealing a set of chain and plate armor.

Reproducing chainmail with the alloy was currently beyond Thorn's level of skill, but remaking the solid plate pieces of Stello's armor wasn't that hard. As they gathered up the next morning, getting ready to leave for the Temple of Man, Thorn presented it to Stello.

"As you can see, we've all got matching armor," Thorn said. "So, here's yours. You'll need to use your chainmail for the time being, as I didn't have time to make you a new set. But the bracers, chest piece, and greaves should serve you well. I noticed you don't wear a helmet, but if you'd like one, let me know."

"Thank you," Stello said, taking the armor. "Wait, isn't this immortal iron?"

"Yes," Thorn said casually. "I suggest you don't go around telling that to people, though."

His mouth open in shock, Stello stared at the armor plates, and then up at Thorn, who just patted him on the shoulder.

"I told you I was a better smith than a fighter. All right, is everyone ready?"

Like most major forces, the Temple of Man had a dimensional gate that led to and from Intra-mundum. And it was here that Thorn led the group. When they arrived, they found it guarded by a contingent of temple warriors, along with a bored-looking consecrate.

"What business do you have with a temple?" he asked, barely looking at Thorn.

Taking out his badge, Thorn dropped it on the table in front of the consecrate, not speaking. Annoyed, the consecrate glanced up, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the ascendant's badge. Jumping to his feet so quickly, he nearly knocked over his chair. He picked up the badge and bowed, handing it back to Thorn.

"Ascendant, my apologies. I was not expecting—" His voice trailed off. "I mean—"

"Don't worry about it," Thorn said, waving his hand. "Just open up the portal."

"Ah, yes, of course. Right away, ascendant. Are these people coming with you?"

"Yes, we'll all be going to the temple," Thorn said. "These are my attendants."

"Of course, sir."

Within a few minutes, Thorn and the others were standing in front of a large dimensional gate, decorated with gold carvings. With a hum, the gate sprang to life, and the consecrate gestured for Thorn to head through. Stepping into the portal, Thorn felt the tug as he was pulled across the void. A moment later, he stepped out into a wide courtyard near the center of the Temple of Man. The massive fortress hanging in space over the endless battlefield remained exactly as he had seen it before, though Thorn could sense a faint excitement in the air.

There were people bustling this way and that, and it wasn't long before someone who looked like a steward hurried up to Thorn and the others.

"Are you Ascendant Thorn?" the steward asked, causing Thorn's eyebrows to rise.

"Yes," he said.

"Ah, perfect. Please follow me. I'll show you to your accommodations."

Curious how the steward had known his name, Thorn and the others followed him through winding passages and large gardens. Seeing Thorn's curious look, the steward slowed his steps slightly until Thorn caught up.

"Sir, is this your first time in the temple?"

"Not my first time, but my first time really getting a tour," Thorn said.

"Ah, that makes sense," the steward said. "When we saw you had arrived, the fortress commander specifically requested that I show you around. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see before I take you to your rooms?"

Realizing that the token he carried had probably alerted them that he had arrived, Thorn logged that information away for the future and shook his head.

"No, I think it would be better to settle in," he said, "before we do any sightseeing. I did want to ask, do you know when they'll be selecting the slots for Urmag’Tal's puzzle? I assume that's why there are so many people here."

"Yes," the steward said, his eyes lighting up. "The competition will be fierce, though nothing official has been announced. I expect the assessment will be sometime next week."

"Oh? And what does the assessment consist of?"

"I'm sorry, Ascendant, I don't know that," the steward said. "The last time the puzzle opened was before my tenure."

"From the stories I've heard, it seemed to be related to combat, which would make sense if we're going to be competing against god beasts," Thorn said.

"Yes, Ascendant, that's what I thought as well. Ah, here we are. This villa will be yours, Ascendant."

To Thorn's surprise, he noticed a plate by the front door of the large villa the steward had stopped outside of. On it was his name and a symbol that matched the token he held. His eyes narrowing slightly, he turned to the steward.

"When you say 'mine', what are you talking about?”

“I mean that this is your permanent residence, Ascendant. Every Ascendant is awarded a permanent residence in the Temple of Man. It comes fully staffed, and should you need anything, you can ask your chief of staff to contact me, and I will do my best to meet your requests.”

“And what's your name?" Thorn asked.

Shooting Thorn a gratified look, the steward clasped his hands together and bowed.

"I am Steward Selor."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Steward Selor. As you know, my name is Thorn, and these are my companions, Velin, Mina, Corvo, Alph, Stello, and, of course, Akira."

After bowing to each of the individuals Thorn introduced, in turn, Steward Selor led the way into the mansion, introducing Thorn to the chief of staff and the servants who had gathered in the main hall, and then giving him and the others a tour of the large property. It was outfitted with everything from kitchens to gardens to training rooms, and even boasted a library of nearly 10,000 volumes.

"If there's anything else you need," Steward Selor said after the tour had concluded, "please do not hesitate to ask."

"There is actually something," Thorn said with an easy smile. "I'm wondering if you can find out some information for me. I'm interested in knowing about the upcoming tests and what qualifications an Ascendant will need in order to gain one of the slots."

"Of course, sir," Steward Selor said. "I'll do my best to find out for you."

"Thank you."

With a bow, Steward Selor excused himself, leaving Thorn alone with the others. Velin sat down on one of the couches. She picked up the teapot that one of the servants had brought and poured herself a cup of tea.

"What will we do while we wait to find out more about the test?" she asked.

"I think some combat training might be in order," Corvo said, causing Thorn to look at him in surprise.

"Really? That doesn't sound like you," Thorn said. "Normally you're trying to avoid—"

"Sure, but if we're adding someone to our team, it'd be good if he knows what we can do, and we know what he can do. After all, I suspect Urmag’Tal's puzzle is going to be dangerous."

"That's a fair point," Thorn said, scratching his cheek. "Though I'm honestly not sure what to expect. All I know is that it was left by a titan and it opens once every hundred years. Incidentally, it's the same titan who made the Endless Battlefield."

"I've heard you refer to that a couple of times," Mina said, "but I don't actually know what the Endless Battlefield is."

Seeing the strange look that Stello was giving her, she raised her eyebrows.

"What? Did I say something odd?”