Chapter Seventeen

Familiar and unfamiliar faces wore red throw-overs, long one-piece sleeveless outfits. The reward for arrival and their reprieve from nudity. Made everyone look like they were in a cult. Owlsley stood by her giant sloth. Eric's eyes were locked onto her chest. If only he'd been sent to a different camp. More than half weren't those who marched into the Colosseum. Those who were plucked from the stands. No Len, No Rosaline. No Maxwell. No Tyler. Could they each be assigned to different camps?.

"Lady White!" Owlsley greeted her with a wave as she jumped down from her bonded pet and ran out of the lit-up area.

"Owsley." Harmony acknowledged the young woman.

"It's exciting to have you on our team. Some want to call the groupings tribes because of the obelisk, but we're still debating. We're still deciphering the rules on the pillar. I should let you get your clothes. Just a few steps more."

Harmony stepped into the illuminated site and the beacon that guided her here flickered out. One set of clothes appeared through magic at her feet. Stripping her makeshift spider-armor she tossed it on over Night. The sleeveless red throwover went down to her ankle, though for most it went to their knees. A one size fits all scenario. There was no second set for Adric.

"Only one per participant, none for bonds. The Rising Dawn nearly pulled his hair out about that. At least your, um, pet has clothes." Owlsley continued looking at Adric. "Is he really undead?"

Harmony ignored the question about Adric's status. Too many potential biases from people. At Ma Bell's table everyone except that one had been too polite to ask about it. Once he'd been cleared Countess Maye had at least spread the word about her favorite nephew's full recovery. Even muddying the water on the question of if he even really died.

"Tyler is here?"

"At the pillar trying to find a solution."

Owlsley reached for Adic while looking at Harmony "Can I?"

"Adric is in charge of who he lets touch him. You talk him into it. I'm going to talk to Sir Rising Dawn."

How big has Tyler's head gotten if he's using his profession instead of his name?

Calling the area a camp would be generous, it was a more designated location with interesting objects and no shelter. The ground was rocky and uneven. What she'd assumed were buildings had no windows or doors. Three building-sized stone cuboids dropped into nature. The obelisk seemed similarly placed rising out of the water at the edge of the lake. One tiny peninsula of land extended out close to it, but you still had a good ten feet of water to go over if you wanted to touch it.

Tyler stood at the end of the outcropping with Loap at his side staring up at the text-covered monument. "You said you could read that section. Is there something in it that will convince you to wear clothes?"

"My clothing has to be earned like yours were."

The rabbit beast kin was perfectly naked. Their thin soft brown fur left less to imaginations than Night had with its second skin style covering.

"Ahem," Harmony said from behind them pair.

Tyler flinched in surprise. "Jessica, you told.." he muttered as he turned around."Oh, Harmony!" He paused looking both thinking and distracted. "Loap respects you. Maybe you can convince her to put on some clothes. I'm sure we can find enough material to craft something appropriate. She was fully equipped for this with scale male and a spear until you know. I'm afraid how she is now will give people the wrong impression of me."

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Would it really be that wrong? The lithe woman stood brazenly tits out and front showing. Mocking stories of savage clothesless beast kin. or was there truth to those wild tales? The nude state was no worse than nearly every woman was forced to be subjected to upon arrival. "My advice had been to not bond a pet for the games."

Loap bowed low. "And what wonderful and accurate advice Royal White. Without such words, the little riser here wouldn't have agreed to my proposal to prove you wrong. Smart enough to know better but prideful enough not to back down to the challenge. Because of that, I am here! It's fabulous! Chronith hasn't been used in two millennia and now that passage is using it and already expanding my knowledge of its grammatical rules!"

"Your pet seems more than satisfied with the situation Tyler. I'm sure the less you are easily distressed about the situation, the more likely she'll decide clothes might be practical. As long as teasing you is more satisfying than practicality you'll be in trouble."

"Your wise words might hamper my entertainment, Royal. But I have teamwork to help." She must mean Tyler's bonded spirit.

With Tyler currently focused on the clothing problem Harmony turned to the one more interested and knowledgeable about the obelisk. "Loap, what is all this about?"

"It's a pillar of statements and secrets. If you swim to the other side you can see a welcome to the Ascendant Games. We are one of three tribes competing through challenges, various ways of elimination, and prizes. But only one can win the biggest prize of all. The type of noise that is common for these kinds of competitions. More loud than honest. The other aspects are more fascinating in puzzles of languages filled with secrets and maybe some power. This Chronith portion talks of watching eyes granting names for those willing to sacrifice it all. Titles are often called names you can earn. That is but one of many statements causing too much noise to hear what is actually needed to be listened to, but fascinating all the same." Loap babbled on.

"What is your profession?" Harmony asked.

"Linguist, cunning linguist. My keeper is lucky to have me for this! My tongue can twist into a dozen languages and my ears hear twice that. And how has your growth shaped your work?"

Some people knew, but it was only fair since Loap had shared hers. As poor a choice as bond a pet could have been, Harmony couldn't fault Tyler's selection with her vibrating, eager, intelligent energy.

"Rigorous Royal Eraser."

The beast kin's eyes widened and she hopped forward, leaning in until her head was beside Harmony's. "May you remove threats, nightmares, and offenses." She whispered. Then cartwheeled backward with an ethereal ease back to Tyler's side. The whole presentation caused him to flush more.

"See what I'm dealing with, Harm!?" He complained.

It was a distracting display, and with the giant pillar bursting forth from the lake that was saying a lot. Language wasn't Her expertise. No, it was something else that tickled Harmony's senses as she gazed upon it. The hint of what she'd expected from a contest created by Old Bone's dungeon spirit. A feeling of death.

She tugged Hyacinth out of his cozy space. "Greep. Greep Greep." He complained.

"Stuff it, sleepyhead. I didn't complain when you slept through some of the light battles. I'd like to get closer to the pillar." [Familiar Bond] helped relay the details.

The toad hopped off her hand and into the water. He was amphibious even if he preferred to hunt on land. In the water Hyacinth re-embiggened, sending waves out as his larger form surfaced a pitch-black moving platform for her. She'd carried him, and it was only fair he returned the favor.

With a stamina-boosted kick-off, she landed on her familiar's back. He carried her to the pillar. Harmony placed her hand upon it. She delved into it with the senses of a necromancer and how becoming necrotuned had strengthened it. Evolving had not been a downgrade, and eventually, she'd learn the secrets of being a revivalist. The pillar had layers to it. A lightning rod for death ran through its core. That could be a problem. It called to her. As her senses touched it, the responding echo of death rang out like a bell.

"I can feel it." Prince Adric gasped beside her. When had he joined her on Hyacinth?

She switched to soul-sight, of course it was blurry with so many aspects that went into it now sealed away, still it was better than when she first tried the self made skill after coming to the Ascendant Games. Written in some text, hidden inside a container of spirit were, if she had focus, could probably be words. Well, that's one way to try to improve her sight, training against something meant to be seen rather than the impression of her extra sense.

"Well, at least this finally got interesting."

"Harmony, it's getting late! Come meet all the stragglers who have arrived!" Tyler yelled from the shore.

How long had she been diving into that? [Recall] told her hours. "Mr. Chonky Toad, take me back."

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