Bariton was left wondering what could of possibly set up these circumstance situations Shammus had told him about. The two finally saw light at the end of the tunnel, which Bariton ran after, abandoning Shammus.

  But Bariton, not hearing the sound of footsteps speeding up, he waited at the bottom of the stairwell for Shammus, assuming he’d be somewhere visible. The sound the ground makes as Bariton twirls around on his combat boots sounds like music to his ears. It’s clearly more gravel then the same stone brick they had been walking on for hours, maybe days.

  The two had talked the whole time, the two had known the other’s circumstance into getting here, and their personal view of the tower’s challenges before then. It feels less like a friendship and more like an old comrade he had fought alongside for ages.

  As though he had fought beside Shammus in the War of Lirdsinua from over 1000 years ago. But that’s just an insane concept. A mere bard being a war veteran from the very same event that caused the Nameless- No, Shammus’s whole story.

  Whatever Shammus has hidden from Bariton, he wants to find it all. He wants to know Shammus better, not just the Nameless Recluse that he’d become. He wants to know the hardships Shammus had faced, but these thoughts were interrupted as he finally saw Shammus’s face in the light once more.

  The details he had previously buried, the red eyes that seemed to glow in the golden light, the well kept brown hair that flowed naturally. The fighting spirit behind Shammus’s eyes captivated Bariton, but he kept that a secret closely guarded.

  The light had blinded him slightly, but Shammus marched on. So Bariton did the same, doing what he did best. Using the footsteps of giants to make his own impact on the world. Destroying the ground not via quakes generated of just his own power.

  But destroying the world with the damage the past had done to erode it’s strength, to deal the final blow. To combine his power with that of the past heroes or the past villains, to make a not just permanent mark on the world, but the people.

  A true bard’s dream. Only the joy of the world would leave him happy. And this tower would help him make that dream come true. He knows he doesn’t care for fame, his happiness doesn’t stem from something as hollow as roses thrown on stage. It’s something full, similar to a nice rich wine glass.

  A warm smile from people passing him on the street, not expecting anything but maybe the same kindness back. He steps up the stairs, thinking of the sheer joy the world will face when the tower falls to its knees. When the tower as a dungeon is no longer a looming threat.

  The feeling of hope only pushes Bariton forward, the pressure of the task at hand not at all on his mind as the environment changes to just a pathway in an autumnal forest, with just a beautiful scene above the two.

  The sky was almost invisible the way it shined down as though it were stained glass. The leaves shining as though the duo was walking through heaven itself. The shadows are just as vivid.

  “Hm. Curious, after darkness for so long, we’re left on this view.”

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  Bariton looks up and sees the tower. There as though to taunt the two, basking in the light that only the people could feel on their skin.

  “Yeah… One could even say that it feels… Dangerous.”

  Shammus lets out a laugh, dry in the change of tone that joy carries along on its back.

  The two walk towards the tower, the shadow of it facing away. At least they could bask in light before the stone door closes behind the two of them.

  Shammus walks on along with Bariton, surprised at just how much he learnt of this bard within just a few hours, or maybe it could’ve been days. Freedom rang out between the two endlessly within the darkness, but when they finally saw the light, the secondary pair, ah yes, Bariton was his name.

  Bariton ran forward, his silhouette becoming clearer as someone else abandons Shammus. But then Bariton stopped. Shammus doesn’t, but he looks on trying to discern why. Then Bariton twirled around to face the darkness, his smile brighter than the light behind him.

  Shammus smiled lightly, or at least he felt his own muscles twitch in a way similar to it. He’s unsure how well that portrays to the other. But he doesn’t care too much, he walks past Bariton and walks up the stairs to the light.

  The brightness envelops him, the way the sun bakes his skin. The way the light kisses at his closed eyes. The light wind picked his hair up off his back. The weight of the air being fresh, and the way the entire world was endangered by every moment of stillness.

  That’s what pushed him forward through the autumnal forest. The bright oranges with yellows and browns mixed together to prove the time of year in defiance of the cold, to stand strong even when it seems impossible.

  It’s motivating to see. To see that the trees had managed to adapt to the cold season in such a method. One that implies perseverance even in loss. And it’s beautiful. He walks onwards along the pathway with Bariton, the footsteps hitting the gravel nicely. The crunch of it, just everything around being beautiful.

  The green of his clothes lets him stand out beautifully, and Shammus has only his pocket to restrain his hands from holding Bariton’s hair. It looks smooth. Shockingly so. But then he sees the looming threat in the distance, the massive stone tower.

  The tower built out of clay brick, but instead of just being over the clouds, the end is visible. It’s as though they were maybe halfway done with it, and the tower being within itself is just a mere sign that they were near the next step.

  The next point of this fight.

  “Hm. Curious, after darkness for so long, we’re left on this view.” Shammus hears himself say as he stops marching onwards.

  “Yeah… One could even say that it feels… Dangerous.” Bariton cracks a foolish joke, one that isn’t even quippy nor witty. But Shammus laughs anyway. It’s a dry one, meaning lost in the air flowing around them.

  The two began to walk forward, Shammus letting Bariton walk just a moment ahead. The staring Shammus catches at the back of his… acquaintance, without any attempts to surpass. It’s comforting.

  To finally have someone else to lead, someone else to believe. Someone else to lead the way, while Shammus was simply following orders, his power had someone to protect, and someone had the power to protect him.

  The thought soothed Shammus’s heart, and his feelings of loneliness that ate away at him every day he spent in that damned cabin. He’s glad he’s got at least one friend here, and he’s sure the rest of the party are bound to grow on him.

  They’re great people he’s sure, I mean, they’ve all got flaws sure, but he’s excited to get to know them, although the way the tower sent him to meet Bariton was… Kind of cruel.