Ultimate Level 1 C.267: The Question Everyone Has

“How did you survive?”

Everyone sat there quietly as Cordellia finally asked the question that had been eating at her since the moment she saw Max standing amidst the carnage of King Jalnig Nuk’s attack. For a single moment, she felt the tower climb had ended and if they managed to escape, what hope was there for her?

Even Tanila had the crystal in her hand, struggling not to break it. Hope was somehow still in those eyes of hers as tears had run down for a moment. Some from sadness, others from joy.

Tanila was about to talk, and Max squeezed her knee and shook his head.

“Can you wait till we are in our room?”

“To tell me everything?”

Max nodded.

Slowly, she nodded her head before turning her attention out the window of the carriage.

***

Cordellia winced as she used the binding tablet Max had acquired from Everett. He didn’t want to use it, but part of him felt it was still too soon, while the other part of him knew time had run out.

“I have a skill that allows me to sometimes take the skills of those that I kill.”

Frowning and then grinning, Cordellia chuckled before rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, those don’t exist. Now tell me.”

Max said nothing and nodded once, pointing at the others.

Slowly Cordellia saw that each of them were nodding at her.

“Seriously? A skill that allows that?! For something like that,t it would have to be a red skill or a–”

Her eyes widened and words froze in her throat. Turning slowly back at Max, she unconsciously pressed herself deeper into the cushioned chair.

“A black skill,” Max said. “I have a black skill.”

Once more, she glanced at the others and saw they all were in agreement.

“How? Why? How can you… why are all of you not worried?! Shouldn’t he be dead?! Killed by the…”

Cordellia’s own words registered, and she grimaced, wincing as she looked at Max, who sighed.

“I should be dead. I would be dead if those in charge had their way. Everything you know about a black skill tells you I’m the greatest threat to this world.”

He leaned forward and smiled softly.

“Tell me Cordellia. Do you believe I would hurt you?”

Her mouth moved and yet nothing came out. Twice and then three times she tried to speak, unable to say a word. Finally, she huffed and shook her head.

“No… you’re nothing like the stories we have been told. In fact… I know you would die for me.”

Max watched as a pair of tears escaped her eyes and then a few more fell. A second later, he had a small handkerchief in his hand and gave it to her.

“But… how… I mean, how are you not what we have been told?”

Tanila stood up and moved to where Max was and grabbed his hand, squeezing it and turned toward her Elven friend.

“Because Seth…” she paused and shook her head. “Max. Max Hoste is his real name. The name he had to hide because there were those still searching for him. But for now, we will continue to use the name Seth.”

Clearing her throat, Tanila ran a finger along Max’s cheek.

“Seth is the kindest, gentlest, and bravest person I know. It doesn’t matter that he is human and that I am an elf. He doesn’t care who someone loves. All he cares about is protecting those who are weaker and those he calls friends or family.”

A hint of red filled his cheeks and Max grabbed her hand, kissing the finger she had been touching him with.

“Gods can we stop with all the mushy stuff?” Fowl muttered. “Tanila is right, though. He’s not like what I was told humans were. Even more importantly, he has risked his life multiple times for myself and the dwarf I love. If you think for a moment he is like the nightmares we have been told about someone with a black skill, then you need a few kicks to the head.”

Batrire chuckled and nodded her head before she spoke.

“It was hard on all of us when he told us. It took some, who shall remain nameless, even though they have red hair at the moment, way too long to see the truth of the man she claims to love.”

Sighing, Tanila nodded.

“She’s right. I allowed my fears, like the ones you are facing, to hold me back. When I finally admitted to myself that he was nothing like I had heard… nothing like my… my father or those I know who will do whatever it takes to grow stronger, I surrendered to how I felt.”

Cordellia nodded.

“Does this mean I can know what all you are able to do finally?”

“I can share most of it, but even I need a few secrets.”

She nodded and grinned.

“I’m all ears!”

“Gods I hate Elven jokes,” Fowl grumbled.

***

Everett stared in disbelief at Max as he heard what they had faced.

“A tower floor twenty above what you should face… that seems awful, and yet you managed to defeat it.”

“Which makes me wonder what might be there after the fiftieth floor,” Max replied.

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A sigh came from their leader, who gave up trying to hide his concerns anymore.

“You do understand that the things you face and will face are most likely never going to be seen again for some time to come? The information you keep sharing and the notes you provide on stats of the monsters help Tom and I prepare all the future climbers, but at some point surely you have to notice there is a bump in their strength every ten floors.”

Thumping the desk, Max’s face squirmed at the truth of something he had missed.

“You’re right and I totally missed that!” he exclaimed. “I was trying to figure out what I was missing, but now it makes sense.”

The journal was in his hands, open, and he was scanning the numbers he had written down.

“What would I ever do without you, Everett?” he asked, not bothering to look up.

It finally made sense and now, with that piece missing, he could start projecting some of the potential numbers he might grow to in the next ten floors.

“Do I want to know?”

“I’m not one hundred percent certain and I won’t know till we actually reach the forty-first floor but I’m guessing we should be facing monsters and creatures with over four hundred in some of their stats.”

Pulling his notebook out, Everett flipped a few pages and frowned, using a pencil and erasing a few things before writing down what Max had said.

“That might make sense, but only if you’re not facing what others do because the tower floor is giving you harder stuff.”

Sighing, Max scribbled down some more notes and then shut his book.

“Only time will tell. For now, I need to turn in. For the next two days, I’m going to craft everything I can for you, including armor if you want it.”

“And Tanila?”

“She has some errands to run, but the third day is hers.”

“Sleep well then. I’ll have a list for you in the morning.”

***

Two days passed as Max crafted a dozen unique items, all lower grades for Everett to use as rewards for those who achieved goals he had begun to lay out. Max even spent a few hours outside with Tom, showing some techniques with the new recruits and wondering if Dexic felt like some dish to show off every time Tom mentioned his name.

All that was left was tonight, and he smiled as the carriage door opened.

“You look amazing as always,” he stated, getting out and waiting for her to step out.

The yellow dress she wore matched the current blond hair she had, both of them having disguised themselves for a night out.

“As do you,” she replied with a wink. “Hair, even if it's black, suits you.”

Feigning shock, Max shrugged.

“One day I’ll grow it for you, just not yet.”

Slipping her arm through his, they moved into the restaurant she had picked out, ready for a meal between the two of them.

***

“Some of us need a real date,” Batrire muttered as she elbowed Fowl. “Just how amazing was the food?”

Smiling, Tanila pulled out a box and handed it to her.

“I saved you a few bites. The quail was perfectly cooked and seasoned how I like it. They had fresh sushi because someone apparently brought in some rare fish recently that hit the market.”

Max smiled as the two chatted about the food from last night and gave Cordellia a playful poke.

“You okay?”

She nodded and smiled.

“I finally feel like I understand and it makes sense now why they trust you so much. I… I spent the last few days thinking about everything I have been told and looking back I see how so much of it was jaded and not based on what I’ve actually experienced. It makes me wonder why we live like this.”

“It’s easier to operate under fear and beliefs than to put ourselves out there and trust others. I know. A moment came when I could have never trusted anyone again, but doing so would have meant I missed out on them and you.”

“He really means missed out on me,” Fowl stated as he pointed at the portal. “We’re up, talk later.”

***

“What in the gods is this mess? Ships?”

Max stood at the dock with the others, watching as one ship was barely visible on the far right and another one was coming in near land.

“No one’s captaining them,” Cordellia said as she peered under her hands. “It appears they are sailing themselves.”

“So we just board one and see where it goes?”

Max shrugged.

“Maybe we wait and see if another comes after this one? Though it might be only a few hours or a few days.”

Batrire shrugged at Max’s response.

“You’re the captain, Captain.”

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head and pointed at the incoming vessel.

“I guess we climb aboard then mateys and see if there be any booty!”

Groans came from all four as his pirate accent failed to impress.

***

After arriving at the dock, the ship sat there for ten minutes before the sails started to flutter and the ship took off.

It wasn’t a large ship with a single mast and sail but on both sides were three cannons, each with a string on them.

Fowl had pulled one multiple times, finding that it didn’t fire anything and no cannons or powder were nearby to stuff in them.

“Decorations?”

“Maybe, but right now, I’m more interested in knowing where we are headed. Look over there and you can see another ship coming into the dock. If this is right, something is making them move like this. Finding out is going to be fun I guess.”

Cordellia moved to where Max and Fowl were at and pointed up at the top of the mast.

“There’s a spot up there I could stand and try to look from if you want. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“If you’re willing to keep a lookout for now, I can swap off with you later.”

Giving a salute, Cordellia laughed and jogged to the mast, grabbing the knotted rope and pulling herself easily up it.

“She’s changed a lot in a few days,” Fowl muttered. “Like a whole different elf… even if her voice is still so high.”

“Being honest with her was important,” Max replied. “I hated having to bind her like that but I’m still not ready to trust that secret with everyone. Once it comes out we both know life is going to get dangerous.”

“For us, not for you,” Fowl muttered as he yanked on the string again.

BOOM!

The cannon jumped back slightly and a cannon ball flew across the open water, splashing into the sea.

Everyone turned to look at Fowl whose face had gone red, hand just a foot from the string had pulled.

“Fowl Hammerfall!”

Max started to laugh as Batrire stomped toward the dwarf who took off running toward the front of the ship.

Oh the adventures on the seas… two dwarves, two elves, and a crazy man.

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