GASP!
Thames let out a loud gasp as he sprang up, grabbing the bedsheets. His face was drenched with sweat, and his pale cheeks had a tinge of gold.
At least I'm still in bed…
He grimaced, recalling the last time he dreamt that heavily, and how he ended up in the fountain of Nira. Slowly letting go of the sheets, he went to inspect his torso.
Gold...
Much like his cheeks, his torso also had a tinge of gold, similar to the color of the liquid that was dripping on him.
It should be time to leave... I don't normally wake up that early, but if I had overslept, I'm sure Ode would've woken me up.
Thames slipped out of bed and stood in front of the silver mirror, using it to inspect the rest of his body, and much like his face and torso, a majority of his body had a golden tinge.
Now I'm like Ode I suppose.
He walked to the chair at the wooden desk and grabbed his clothes, pulling up his pants and adjusting them, then buttoning up his dress shirt slowly.
Ah! My suitcase.
He rolled his eyes as he grabbed his brown leather suitcase. After putting on his shoes, he ruffled his hair a little and walked out the door.
"Good morning, Thames."
Rubes had been standing outside his door, her dark skin still illuminated by the blue light of the corridor.
"Have you been waiting long, Miss Rubes?"
He asked apologetically.
"Not at all. You are quite on time, Thames. Have you been up very long or is your sleep pattern merely perfect?"
Thames chuckled dryly in response to her question.
"Perfect is a way to describe it, Miss Rubes."
She looked at his clothes from head to toe and then at his suitcase.
"Then come along, Ode's companion. We would not want to keep that man waiting."
"Yes, I suppose we wouldn't..."
His thoughts trailed off to the dream from the night before as she began to walk further down the corridor, leading Thames.
"Did you sleep well, Thames?"
"…Yes, I slept fine. The bedsheets are quite nice here."
He added an extra detail, but his tone betrayed his response.
"Did you sleep well, Miss Rubes?"
"Yes, I am much used to this tower."
"How long have you been here...?"
"I am the creator."
"Oh…"
Thames fixed onto the back of her head as the corridor widened into a circular room.
There was an array written in chalk on the floor with a stone fence blocking it off from the side of the room. On the far side of this stood a sort of altar with a large ununiform crystal atop it. Behind it, stood Ode, his hair messier than before they departed, but his vanilla scent still lingered in the air around him.
The two walked around the chalk array and met with Ode.
"Good morning, Ode."
Thames says quickly while Rubes turned to watch the two.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Not a bit! I hate sleepin in these towers."
Ode loudly responded to him before breaking into a yawn.
"Ah..."
Thames rubs the back of his neck, and turned to Rubes, hoping she'd say something to change the topic.
"Where will you be teleporting, Ode?"
"What's the closest to Lino??"
Rubes pressed her index finger to her lips as she thought.
"The Inferno Tower. Sir Frio's tower."
Ode grimaced as she mentioned the unfamiliar name.
"What's the next closest tower...?"
"In the sea, but then you would have to take a boat to shore. Then you would have at least a three-day journey by carriage."
Ode pinched the bridge of his nose while looking up to the ceiling.
"Inferno Tower it is."
Ode walked towards the center of the chalk array as Rubes moved towards the altar. Seeing this, Thames quickly joined him at the center.
"Are you two ready?"
The duo nodded at Rubes, who by now has both her hands atop the crystal.
"[Oh, space join together
Sever the distance between Inferno and Flowery
Teleport!]"
The chalk array pulsed a purple and green glow as she finished her chant, the crystal atop the altar pulsated the same color as Thames felt an unfamiliar energy gather around him.
He noticed Ode shove his hands in his pockets and tense up.
Just as he went to ask about it, Thames' worldview completely shifted around him as the walls full of vines and flowers vanished.
Just as he blinked, he realized that he was in a new place. The walls were cracked like clay in a kiln which rose too hot. and there was a slight reddish tinge in the air.
He heard Ode sigh, followed by footsteps.
"Ode! If it isn't my old friend!"
A deep, booming voice yelled from behind Thames. He quickly spun around to find the source, only to see a three-foot-tall man with deep brown skin, and a long grey beard. The hair on his head, which was little in amount, was singed, and his eyebrows were literally ablaze. His fiery red pupils pierce Thames as he noticed his small presence behind Ode.
"Frio! It's been a while!"
Ode quickly walked out of the array and towards the man, his hand moving behind him and signaled to Thames to get close. Noticing this, he quickly left the array as well.
"It has! Last time we were together I think was in The Kiln!"
"Has it really been that long?!?"
"Yes, it has! We went to drink, and you got so drunk you BURNT MY HAIR!!!"
Frio's voice echoed around the room, shaking Thames' eardrums.
"Ahhh… Sorry...!"
Ode halfheartedly apologized, clearly not recalling the event.
"As you can SEE it still has yet to grow back!"
"Well... Let's let bygones be bygones! What'd ya say, old pal?? We can't fight anyways! I got a guest!"
Ode pointed at Thames.
Curse you, you gold man...
Thames grimaced as Frio focused again on him.
"He can watch us then! Don't tell me you forgot I got an arena set up in the tower!"
"Nah I remember! I remember bein the one to tell ya to create it...!"
His fake laugh trailed off as he looked back at Thames then towards Frio.
"Follow me then! Let's settle this as battlemages!"
Frio practically demanded as he turned away from the painter and the mage.
He led them through a corridor which couldn't be more different than the Flowery Tower. The walls were cracked and oozing fire, the corridor was barely lit, and the entire tower had an explosive and unwelcoming atmosphere.
As the trio continued to silently walk through the tower, Frio directed them to the side instead of walking down the stairs towards the entrance. Following to the right onto a balcony, he pressed his hand to the wall.
"[Open!]"
The outline of a door appeared as Frio said this and slid down.
"Cmon Ode...! Let's battle with your friend as witness!"
Frio brought the two past the doorway and into a grand arena which went down in the ground.
From where they stood there were seats surrounding the large arena, the floor was made up of volcanic rock and a black sand, and the walls of the arena were singed in ash.
Frio and Ode jumped down into the arena, separating to opposite sides.
Seeing this, Thames walked to the side of Ode and sat down closest to the edge.
"Count us down, friend of Ode."
Frio yelled to Thames in a serious tone.
"Okay… Three, two… one."