Bunty was glad to wake up next to Gwyneth the following morning. He loved the feeling of her arms wrapped around him and bare breasts pressed against his back. It wasn’t Bunty’s first intimate night with a woman, but it was unlike anything he had experienced before. They had gotten into bed hungry for one another. However, it was clear to Bunty that they weren’t just trying to fulfil their needs. He wanted Gwyneth, and unless he was mistaken, she wanted him too. They had stayed up later than intended, but the group had agreed that they were in no rush to set out in the morning.

It took a couple of minutes of small movements for Bunty to get out of Gwyneth’s embrace without waking her. He rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of trousers. He almost yelped when his foot touched the bed warmer. After the bed got too hot during their sexual activities, Bunty had placed it on the floor and forgotten about it. The metal pot full of coals should’ve cooled down during the night, but it hadn’t. He guessed the coals or metal were treated to hold onto heat for a long time.

Bunty looked around the room, taking in the little conveniences built using materials unique to Gaia’s Ark. He wondered how the lives of their inventors had turned out. A bedwarmer which that held its heat well into the morning would sell brilliantly. He was sure certain Climbing parties would find them desirable too. Such innovations would set their inventors up for life. Bunty was sure he’d never be content with such a life, though.

As Bunty thought about it, he realised he was already sorted for life. Unless the FTF lost control of the ice spider farm or the organisation went belly up, he already had a steady income. As long as he lived frugally, Bunty could spend the rest of his life with his feet up. Bunty was sure he wouldn’t be satisfied with such a life, though. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from the future yet.

When he was younger and naïve, Bunty had imagined ending up with Victoria and having children with her. Now, he didn’t know whether he wanted children at all. There were too many things he wanted to do first besides saving Alexander and discovering Neer’s fate. Bunty dreamed of exploring Gaia’s mysteries and figuring out the ark’s true purpose. Oss had expressed his opinions on the matter, but they weren’t good enough. Bunty wanted facts.

After getting dressed, Bunty drank from straight the water jug by the bedside. The mugs smelled of spiced cider, and he wanted to avoid the scent for the rest of his life—or until the hangover passed. Then he helped himself to a banana and finished getting dressed. Gwyneth still hadn’t stirred, so he left her alone and exited the room.

Instead of putting themselves up in the tavern, the trio had followed Hina and Koki to the inn they availed. To keep their celebration going, Bunty had splurged on a two-bedroom suite. He had offered to get a separate room for Oss, but he had gladly taken the couch in the shared lounge between the two rooms. Much to Bunty’s surprise, it was empty.

At first, he thought Oss had gone out for a morning walk or breakfast. Then he looked around the room and spotted the untouched bedding on the side table. Instead, banana peels, apple cores, and an empty bottle of honeyed wine littered the desk by the window. The garbage lay around a stack of papers and Bunty’s notebooks.

Curiosity pulled Bunty to the chair, and he leafed through the pages. His heart skipped a beat. Oss had translated the inscription for him. It talked of the Chronos Bloom’s powers and the hanging gardens in which it grew. Oss had gone on to write about how the structure on the thirty-sixth floor was a myth among his people too. They knew nothing of the Chronos Bloom, but many of his kind had searched for it to no avail.

Before going into details, Bunty leafed through the ages, glossing over them. He couldn’t help but admire Oss’s penmanship and sketches. It was a side the future Child of Gaia hadn’t shared with them. Then Bunty’s heart dropped when he came upon a letter. He grabbed the paper stack, his notebook and rushed back to the room he shared with Gwyneth. Bunty knelt next to the door and gave her a light shake.

“What is it?” She asked, groggily brushing his hand away.

“Oss is gone.”

Slumber’s hold left Gwyneth straight away. Her eyes widened, and she scrambled to sit up in bed. The covers slipped off her chest, bunching up around her waist. Even though it was a glorious sight, Bunty found himself still in shock from Oss’s announced departure. Bunty handed her his letter, and she read through it twice. “Damn.” Gwyneth sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I’m not too surprised, but damn.”

“It’s my fault,” Bunty said. “I shouldn’t have pushed him so hard.”

“Don’t go blaming yourself for it,” she told him, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “Oss never truly committed to joining our party. It’s understandable that he wants to keep his origins hidden, and doing so when in a long-term part isn’t possible.”

“I pushed him to translate all of this, though.”

“Well, he took the time to do it before he left. I don’t think it was one of the driving factors. Oss doesn’t have the same priorities as us. He’d rather not go looking for ruins full of plant monsters, and he’s out to prove himself to Gaia. Perhaps he realised that his psychological scars are too much to bear around a party. Can you guarantee that you’ll avoid plant creatures or cats for the rest of your climbing life?”

Bunty shook his head.

“There you go.” Gwyneth looked at him and smiled. “You had a couple of lapses in judgement, but overall, you’ve been a caring and competent party member. It’s a bit of a clichéd line, but nobody is perfect, Bunty.” She looked over the letter once more. “Show me the whistle.”

Bunty opened his notebook to where Oss had left a finger-thick bone whistle. It had a dozen tiny runes carved into it. “I’ve never seen these shapes before,” Bunty said. “Do you think it really works?”

“Well, let’s give Oss some time and space before we test it,” Gwyneth said, unbuttoning Bunty’s shirt. “The letter says it’s only for when we are desperate for help. Let’s save the whistle for a rainy day and let him have his space.” She untied one of the ribbons from around her wrist and slipped it through the whistle’s mouthpiece. Then she tied the two ends together and slipped it over Bunty’s neck. “Just keep it close for now. Who knows when it will come in handy?”

“Would you like to hold onto Oss’s translations? I’m sure there’s information you can use for your research.”

Gwyneth shook her head, returning to unbuttoning Bunty’s shirt. Once done, she moved on to undoing his trousers. Bunty didn’t need to ask questions to figure out her intentions. Seeing Gwyneth’s naked breasts and curves in the morning light had made him hungry once again. So, he eagerly stepped out of his clothing and crawled under the covers next to her.

Despite Gwyneth’s reassurances, Bunty couldn’t help but feel partly responsible for Oss’s departure. He blamed it on too many human Climbers joining the party and the need to keep his origins secret. Bunty didn’t understand Oss’s need to keep the source of power secret. If what he told them was true, humans would soon receive blessings similar to his—if they hadn’t already. The excuse regarding Oss’s quest required him to hunt worthy targets and prove himself to Gaia felt more believable. Either way, he and Gwyneth weren’t alone. Bunty’s old friends were back.

It was too early to trust Koki wholeheartedly, but Bunty believed in Hina. He looked forward to learning how her spirit had evolved, its applications, and her martial abilities’ growth too. Hina vouched for Koki and was romantically entangled with him, so Bunty thought it safe to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, having both a beast and plant spirit in the party would make their life so much easier.

Bunty recalled Koki face the mole without hesitation. He had the benefit of an enhanced weapon, but his swordsmanship skills were no joke. The ocular augmentation was likely only a part of a larger one. If Koki had gained the speed and agility of a frog, he was likely a force to be reckoned with. Then there was Hina’s dandelion-puff spirit and its ability to alter weight. The applications of such a spirit in and out of combat were almost limitless. It would make setting traps a breeze too.

Bunty, Gwyneth, and Hina together had the potential to bring down beasts several times their size without breaking a sweat. After a round of pre-breakfast amorous activities, Bunty lay in bed imagining Koki drawing beasts into elaborate traps using Slimeskin, electrified spikes, and gravity-defying weights.

The pair lay in bed talking about Oss and their future until they heard movement in the suite outside. Then they got dressed and joined the newest members of their party. Hina and Koki didn’t appear disappointed by Oss’s departure. Bunty didn’t blame them. He hadn’t made any effort at socialising the evening before. They didn’t know Oss and had no reason to miss him. Seeing their beaming faces put him in a good mood regardless.

A ten pence tip was enough to bribe the maid for an outside breakfast. According to Hina, the inn didn’t have the best cook. The smell from the bakery across the street had all of their mouths watering. Their topfenstrudel—paper-thin pastry full of sweet cheese curds, was Hina’s favourites, and she made a convincing case for them.

Then Bunty told them his plans and about his immediate goals from the tower. He didn’t divulge the plant monster’s location but told Hina about his plans with them. When things got too complicated, Hina had him pause and translated for Koki. Bunty was glad to discover that Koki had a moderate understanding of English. His speaking skills still needed a tonne of work. It made communication much easier, though, and Bunty tried his best to avoid idioms or long words.”

“Koki’s excited,” Hina said during the explanation. “His spirit is highly compatible with plant Cores. The one Yuki took from you gave him an excellent augment and summon—”

“Let me make something clear,” Bunty said, interrupting her. “I don’t want to kill this beast if we don’t have to. This is a matter we need to agree on, or this partnership might not work. The sap this creature secretes, Omrito, can save lives. A race much older and smarter than us recognised this and spent years building monuments to contain them and extract the liquid. I want to use it to help people.”

“A healing power that potent can help our party, though.” Hina’s brows furrowed as she spoke. “What you want to do is noble, but Climbers need to be self-serving to succeed.”

“I work with the FTF. You’ve met Lydia. I intend to offer her control over the facility as long as we get a cut and free access to the liquid. The FTF believes in fair pricing to make its products accessible. Instead of profiting from a handful of big sales, they make their profits by selling to people like you and me at reasonable prices.” Bunty sighed, looking to Gwyneth for reassurance. She nodded, giving his forearm a little squeeze. “I don’t want to be a brilliant Climber, Hina. Things aren’t balanced out there. The nobles monopolise resources and use their power to make commoners miserable. If we can pull this off, it will hurt them significantly.”

Bunty gave Hina a moment to translate before continuing. Koki appeared to have already grasped the gist of it, but the explanation perked up his drooping shoulders.

“The big houses monopolise all medicine and top healing spirits. They go out of their way to ensure powerful Climbers not allied with them don’t get medical care. I want to end their tyranny. I’m sure the Ito clan does the same.”

Koki nodded. Hina translated his words for the pair. “He thinks your motives are honourable.” She sighed. “I don’t like the idea, though. This could help us, but you’re going to play keep-away. A party doesn’t do that to one another, Bunty. It’s not fair that you’d like to tackle this creature as a party, but the only one who profits from it is you. I want equal shares of the profit for Koki and me.”

“That’s unreasonable!” Gwyneth exclaimed. “Bunty is the one with information regarding this creature and the location. He inherited the information and took the time and energy to translate it! Any profits from this are rightfully his!”

“Well, then I’m afraid we can’t be a party,” Koki spoke to her in Japanese, but Hina shook her head. “No, Koki. Parties work on equal contribution and division. Otherwise, we’d be nothing more than your employees. Our relationship would be no different from the one we had with Yuki and Mei.”

“I guess we’re at an impasse—”

“No, we’re not,” Bunty said, interrupting Gwyneth. “You’re right, Hina. If we’re going to party up, we need equal division. That doesn’t change the fact that the information belongs to me. Even if you had the information, deciphering it would be impossible for you. You’d need someone that can read Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskrit. They’d need to figure out how Neer used to switch between them seamlessly. So, equal division won’t work here.”

“What do you suggest then?” Hina asked.

“You’ll get ten per cent of whatever the FTF agrees to pay me.” Hina opened her mouth to protest, but Bunty raised a hand, silencing her. “That’s ten per cent each. It’s non-negotiable. At the same time, I recognise that you have a map that will guide us through this interval. To make things fair, you and Koki will receive first picks at whatever Cores and materials we find while following your maps. When we divide profits, you and Koki will receive thirty per cent each, while Gwyn and I will get twenty. Does that sound reasonable?”

Hina and Koki conversed in Japanese for a couple of minutes before the pair nodded. “We agree to your terms. However, I have one last question. If the sap from this creature is so valuable, why would you hand it off to the FTF? You can’t control how they’ll use or distribute it.”

“We’re just four people,” Bunty answered. “When news of Omrito gets out, the other houses will try to find out where it comes from and might try to take control. The FTF has the means to keep the operation hidden and protect it if the information gets out. Their infrastructure will help with distribution and sales, too, while we focus on climbing.”

Gwyneth appeared taken aback by Bunty’s willingness to split the profits and include her in the division too. She didn’t protest, and Hina seemed to be pleased too. Koki and Hina had a short exchange in Japanese before returning his attention to Bunty. He pulled two Cores out of his pack and placed them on the table. The bigger of the two housed a violent vortex of a fierce green and murky purple. In comparison, the second was as big as Bunty’s fist and almost transparent. The silver and golden lights were immobile, and it exuded an aura of serenity.

“We weren’t sure whether a party would work out or not,” Hina said. “Our primary reason for waiting was to repay the debt we owed you. I don’t think I would’ve survived until now if for that mole’s Core. It saved my life more times than I can count. Koki feels similarly. He was appalled by Yuki’s behaviour. His first Core is rightfully yours too. He wanted to give you his sword. Since you rejected it, he’d like to offer the Core he was saving for himself.”

“This is unnecessary, but I won’t say no to your offer,” Bunty said, inspecting the two spheres. “Where did you find them?”

“The green one is from a two-headed serpent,” Hina answered. “The beast built its nest around the shrine on the seventh floor, but Yuki thought it was too powerful for him. She pushed a frog Core from the sixth floor on him. To be fair, it gave him some much-needed augmentations, but he had his heart set—” Koki spoke a couple of harsh words in Japanese when Hina paused. “One of the heads exhaled a noxious purple gas which had Mei coughing her lungs out. She almost choked fighting the beast. The other’s fangs dripped green. Fortunately, none of us got bit, but given the Core’s size, I bet it was nasty.”

“That’s a tempting offer,” Bunty said. “Poison could push my inkwell’s capabilities a long way. What about the other one?” He picked up the smaller Core and held it up to the light. “It doesn’t look particularly impressive, does it?”

“We encountered that one on the tenth floor and don’t know a whole lot regarding it. Koki and I had already upgraded our spirits. As a result, we can’t check it until the twelfth. However, considering its origins, I thought you’d find it of interest.” Hina leaned forward, lowering her voice. She had a talent for storytelling. “The shrine map led us to an old temple deep within a frozen mountain. We couldn’t take the direct route to the gate, though. A furry behemoth bigger than an elephant slept in our path.”

When breakfast arrived, Hina unwrapped the food and poured tea instead of continuing. She glanced at Bunty and Gwyneth as they waited expectantly. If she planned to build suspense, it was working. The ruins and carvings on the tenth floor had piqued Bunty’s curiosity. If Hina had found a Core in such a location, it was bound to house something special.

“While looking for a way around the beast, we came across a library. The books were on the verge of crumbling, so I was forced to leave them behind. It’s a shame. I didn’t recognise any of the text within. A couple of them were full of runes, though. They resembled the inscriptions carved into the gates and the walls.” Hina took the Core from Bunty’s hands and placed it on the shrine map. The golden and silver lights came to life. Tendrils broke off the mote and licked at the writing on the paper. “It sat on a stone tablet at the library’s centre. We found it there.”

Gwyneth looked between Bunty and Hina and then chuckled. “Well, if you planned on influencing Bunty’s decision, you succeeded.”

“I wouldn’t feel right claiming something Koki intended to use anyway,” Bunty said. He took the library Core from Hina and slipped it into his coat’s vest pocket. Bunty faced Koki and spoke slowly. “Use the serpent’s Core so you can destroy our enemies.”

Koki shook his head and pushed the Core into Bunty’s hands. “Make weapon. Upgrade spirit. Core not for me.” Hina protested in Japanese, but Koki shook his head. “Yuki no have honour. Ito Koki have honour. Bunty Sen use Core for good.”

“There’s no arguing with him when he gets like this.” Hina sighed. “It’s yours, I guess. He won’t take it even if you use the library Core.”

Bunty had no choice but to clasp Koki’s hand and shake it. The young Japanese flashed a broad smile and dug into his breakfast. Hina followed suit. The morning had turned out more intense than Bunty intended, but he was glad for it. The disappointment and guilt that came with Oss’s departure lessened. He didn’t just have his friend back but a party too. Koki had cut his ties with the Ito clan, and Hina’s only responsibility involved sending money to her family. The four of them had the freedom to climb without answering to anyone. Bunty couldn’t ask for anything better.