Octophobia

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 -Chapter 17

Adam had left and the team were gathered in the lounge, warming themselves by the fireplace. They grumbled and groused, and let out curses when Fritz told them that the man had agreed to be their tutor. They swore more when he informed them of his price.

"Three silvers a day?!" Bert burst out.

"A total scam!" Cal cried.

"Hate that bastard," Rosie said.

Dale whistled, joining the outrage.

"Much less than I thought, how did you haggle him down?" Lauren said as the ...

Spire's Spire - Arc 3 - Chapter 16

Before they charged Adam, Fritz stopped his team, calling them to gather around him with a sharp gesture.

Adam smiled and Fritz supposed they had just passed one of his hidden tests. Likely one about not charging in without a plan. They huddled close as the light rain fell.

"What do we do?" Cal asked.

Fritz thought for a moment, considering their tired and likely mana-drained states after their personal fights with the man and attempting to form a cohesive plan. He decided t...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 15

After sorting out some details and drinking down a few mugs, Fritz and his search party left the tavern and rejoined their team. When they found the other three they quickly explained their deal with Adam Needle, who was to be, ostensibly, their new tutor. If they proved 'good enough.'

They were striding home through the rain, when Cal asked, "What's wrong with Fritz then? You found the tutor and he agreed to teach. Why does he look so...sad?"

Fritz scowled further, but didn't ans...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 14

Before Fritz and his team began their search for the itinerant tutor, they drew their plans for the day. It was to be Lauren and Cal's first foray into the Thoroughfare Market with the express intent of selling their monster materials and most importantly their sirensilk.

Fritz wished them well and set about the tasks he had put upon himself for the day. Bert declined to join him this time as some of those tasks led to the King's Archive.

"And here I thought that you would be more...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 13

Fritz sat up and stared at the hooded figure behind the rattling glass. He met Sid's bright blue eyes and smoothly slid from his bed, then crept to the window. Lighting flashed, and thunder rumbled overhead. He unlatched the window and opened it an inch, the wind outside howled and he spoke into the night. His words were lost, blown away.

Fritz signalled his intent.

"Window is warded. Meet you downstairs. Backdoor."

Sid nodded once and leapt from the roof.

Fritz quickl...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 12

They followed Nic out of the Nightshark's 'throne' room. Bert strode solidly, while Fritz held himself stoically, despite the hollow weight in his chest that was a remnant of the harrowing meeting.

"You lied to me," Nic said as he led them through a different set of tunnels, one that didn't lead them through the harem, much to Bert's disappointment.

"We got you good," Bert agreed.

Nic grimaced.

"You killed Kev," he stated.

Fritz was about to speak when the thug i...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 11

"Uses?" Fritz asked.

The Nightshark turned and walked towards her high-backed couch that served as a throne.

"What can you do? For me," she reiterated.

Fritz focused his gaze on the small of her back and while she strode away, sultry and confident. He felt a twang in the air, like an invisible thread had been plucked. The black sharks in the pool floated gently to the surface and presented their shining backs to the open air.

The Nightshark walked over the bridge of bl...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 10

"What?" Fritz asked, staring at the scarred man standing under the doorway and out of the rain.

"You heard me," Jagged Nic replied in those tarred and gravelled tones, his smile slipping away.

"How'd you find us?" Bert asked.

"A little bird told me," Nic said, chuckling. "And you weren't exactly quiet last night. A bunch of bruised gangs in the drowned district, a tavern fight at Tallies. Word is Barry's still trying to find his balls."

Bert laughed at that and Fritz t...

Spire's Spite - Arc3 - Chapter 9

The gates to the Palace Ring were taller than those leading into the Sunken Ring. The portcullis was raised and its rainsteel spikes hung fifteen feet overhead like spears held ready, pointing down at the carriages and their noble passengers as they passed underneath the stone arch.

The gate was defended not only by the two squads of Storm Guard, but also by two of the looming figures of Scale Guard.

Fritz had to stop himself from nervously glancing at those elite warriors. Their ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 8

There was a fussy storm conjured in Colette's store, one comprised of her quick clever hands and endlessly-eager chattering. Her two assistants were just as bad, they brandished measuring tapes, test fabrics, clothing and pins, following in their master's wake like they were leaves caught upon the whirling wind.

Within an hour the team were all measured and their preferences noted. George, Fritz and Cal, all desired shirts, while Bert requested undergarments befitting a king as he alrea...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 7

Fritz arrived home in a rush, and as soon as he was through the front door he strode into the stairway. He called a team meeting with a shout and rang a fist-sized bell that hung from one of the walls. The team soon gathered, peering over the balustrades with expressions varying from interest to annoyance. Lauren clutched her still-aching head. Fritz motioned to follow him and they obeyed.

He led them to the lounge, and after he shooed a pigeon from a windowsill and searched the room fo...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 6

Cal woke up to the sounds of birds. Ducks quacked, pigeons cooed, and the other nameless birds let out their high trills. There was not a skulg to be heard. And he was dry and warm, clean sheets hugged him as he sat up and stretched. His head felt heavy and his eyes bleary, but that wasn't from a rough sleep. He had drank too much last night and his gut felt sour. Luckily, he had left out a glass of water for himself before he fell into the unbelievably soft bed.

The clear, cool water s...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 5

Fritz and his team started their night's proclivities at an establishment called the Crimson Carp. The large building was nestled in with the other taverns, inns and salons in the Circle of Revelry.

They had made their way through the nightlife crowds, underneath the awnings and the bight mana-lanterns into the open door of the noisy tavern. Firelight washed over them as did the many talking voices, the clinking of glasses and mugs, and the jaunty music of a trio of performers. The soun...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 4

--- Authors note --- One year and a day of releases! Very auspicious. Thank you all so much for reading, wouldn't have come this far without all of you! Thank you all again! Here's to another year! ---

Fritz left the orphanage, though not before finding his sister and wishing her well. She was far more excited to see him than his brother and had smiled wide when she saw him.

They had embraced, holding each other for some moments before Fritz explained he needed to go. He gifted he...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 3

It was approaching noon and the rain was heavy. The bad weather didn't deter the populous, the Upper Ring was still filled with patrons. They took shelter under the awnings or strode in the streets, clad in dark raincoats or protecting themselves with umbrellas. Some of the more wealthy-looking parties had Rainshield Imbued Treasures or a servant with the same Ability to save themselves the fiddly or unfashionable nature of such awkward apparel.

Fritz decided to join those crowds in the...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 2

Fritz and his team stepped out onto wet stone and into cool, morning rain. Another team of Climbers were trying to enter the Mer Spire, but stepped to the side to let Fritz through. He walked forward, leading his own team, finding that the leaving line was far more sparse than the entering one. They were at the gates out within a minute, or would have been if not for an obstacle before them.

There was a group of Scale Guard waiting within the walls enclosing the Spire. They wore their u...

Spire's Spite - Arc 3 - Chapter 1

Fritz awoke from his nightmares, it was a rough way to wake, but it could have been worse. He was lying on his bedroll, wrapped in a spare sheet of sirensilk scavenged from a previous floor. He let out a sigh. His back ached. The padding of his bedroll, while tough, couldn't protect him from the worst of the scaled stone's cold ridges.

He decided not to dwell on it too much or groan groggily as Bert did in the distance. His blood-brother tossed and turned, his golden hair flopping this ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 70

Biki perched high upon his favourite ledge. He watched the alley. He watched the door. That was his task. It was very important. He fluttered his lovely, dark feathers and stretched his wings. They didn't hurt anymore. Which was good. Those bad, mean walkers had been rough with him.

They had wrapped him up and stolen him! But then they fed him fish and let him go. He tried to fly to master, but the winds were bad that day and his wing hurt and wouldn't work. He was meant to tell Master ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 69

"I'm working on the details, there's much to do on the outside. But within some months we'll be climbing the Rain Spire," Fritz proclaimed.

His team, who had been eagerly listening, nodded seriously.

"We? All of us?" Cal asked somewhat surprised.

"Yes," Fritz said. "Do you not want to?"

"No, I do," Cal said quickly. "I just wasn't sure what we'd all be doing after this Climb, now that we're you know... done... for now."

"We're merely done with this Spire," Fritz ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 68

"I want to open one," Rosie declared, her strange, dark eyes glinting greedily as she stared at the bronze-banded chests set upon the scaled stone.

"I wouldn't mind the chance to open one either," Lauren said blandly, though her casual tone belied her eager avarice.

"Well, there are three of them. Who here hasn't had the honour of throwing open chest?" Fritz asked.

"Me, me, me," Rosie said.

"I've opened two," George admitted.

"When did you open a second one?" Ber...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 67

Bert didn't speak for almost six seconds, a bright burst of golden light manifested, surrounding Cal and solidifying into the shape of another gold banded chest. The man opened his eyes, they were filled with joy and eager avarice. Bert frowned, annoyed that his moment had been interrupted, apparently he'd been waiting some time for this.

"As I was saying, this is a Dale Stone," Bert stated, again.

Before any one could ask a thing, Rosie began to glow with pale blue light and her ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 66

Fritz looked over his offerings with brow furrowed. Water dripped from his willow branches and he decided to take his contemplations to his pavilion. Out of the rain and under the silvery-grey wood he sat by the bight, moonsilver brazier, its eldritch flame still burning. The blue-green fire flickered and crackled, the hateful light glared and cast twisting shadows where it couldn't reach.

He leaned back in his chair and thought about what he should do. From his previous experience, he ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 65

The lunch Cal cooked up for the team as they waited for the sea to cool was a fine feast. Or could have been, Fritz supposed, as he himself couldn't focus on the flavours. It seemed he wasn't alone in his distraction, even as they praised the food, especially the sand shark in blood lime sauce, they found themselves trailing off as they spoke or just staring at the steaming water.

Cal was less than enthused by the lacklustre praise, but he too kept looking over his shoulder and almost b...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 64

Fritz let Bert lean on him. The man was heavy, but not too great a burden. They sloshed through the chest-high sea, towards their team who were in the ring of trees ahead, sitting and standing on the roots and carving into an eel, skinning it and splitting its length to get to its lightning stone.

"Those damn bolts. Everything aches," Bert grumbled as Fritz pulled him along.

"I know, I know," Fritz reassured.

"That's not the worst thing. No, not the worst thing," Bert grumbl...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 63

It was almost offensive how defenceless and clumsy the ugly beasts were. They couldn't leap or dodge, they were slow and graceless. When cut, their slick skin parted as easily as a hessian sack, spilling out thin, stinking and sour orange blood. The leech things burbled and thrashed disgustingly while they died.

Fritz almost felt foolish for approaching the beasts so cautiously, they had posed no danger at all. Even when Bert let one entangle him with its tendril-like growths he could e...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 62

Something sped through the muddy water, a darting, glittering beast. Fritz and his team instinctively drew their weapons as the eel slipped right through the middle of their circle. He only caught sight of it for a second but what he saw chilled his blood. The monster was long, at least nine feet, and was almost as thick around as his torso. It was covered in fine lattice of blue-silver scales, the metallic sheen cut with gills of bright blue.

Fritz barely had time to dodge, his Danger ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 61

With the vote settled, Fritz gave out his next orders.

"We'll rest up, get all of you healed, and make sure you have at least one activation of your defensive Treasures," he stated.

"Rosie, your ring will also need to be filled," he added. "The tactical value is too great not to use."

Those with such Treasures approached and the very last of their gold was spent.

"There it all goes," Bert bemoaned.

"We'll be rewarded heavily at the top, especially since this will...

Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 60

George dropped into his Sanctum, felt the heat of the forge, and saw the orange glow reflected on the swords he proudly displayed on the stone brick walls.

He didn't let himself get distracted by the different shapes and makes of his blades, instead, he called upon his Spire sheet.

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Spire Readout

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Name: George Anchor

Level: 9

Path: Swordsman

Strain: Hum...