A few days after the Sword Roses recovered their equilibrium. Oliver happened to be in the base already when Guy came bursting in, out of breath.
“Yo, anybody free?!”
“? What’s up, Guy? I’ve got time, but I’m the only one here.”
Oliver got to his feet, and that alone made Guy spin on his heel.
“Let’s move! Before he’s gone!”
Unsure what this was about, Oliver gave chase. A few minutes spent hurtling down corridors, and the answer to his questions came into view.
“Ah, you’re back, Guy! You brought Oliver?”
“Oh?”
Oliver pulled up short, stunned. This man should not be here. He’d graduated from Kimberly several years back. Short of stature, but full of life—a trusted sight that made even the labyrinth’s dangers falter. No less reliable now, and the rucksack on his back no smaller.
“…Walker? Why…?”
“Shocking, right?” Guy said. “I nearly lost my shit, too! He’s headed into the depths, so I ran to see if anyone else was around. Dammit, wish the others had been there.”
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Meanwhile, Walker approached and slapped both hands on Oliver’s shoulders.
“Been a while, Oliver! Guy was a shock, too, but you’ve grown so strong, I hardly recognized you! Yet—is it my imagination, or are you that much more brittle?”
“It’s been far too long, Walker. I’m in peak condition, don’t worry. But please—don’t keep me waiting. What brings a graduate back here?”
The man’s keen observational skills remained unnerving, so Oliver deflected.
“You heard of a labyrinth monitor?” Walker said, hands on his hips. “It’s a standard position on the Kimberly administrative staff, and like it sounds, they’re in charge of maintaining the labyrinth. I came back to take that job. I’ve been applying since graduation—my research on this place was far from done.”
“Ah, so you’re faculty now. Colleagues with Gwyn, Shannon, and Rivermoore?”
“Yep, I met them all! Gwyn and Shannon haven’t changed a bit! But Rivermoore was a shock to the senses. Never saw him becoming a regular teacher! Ha-ha, all those games of tag I played with his familiars—sure takes me back. Maybe not the right phrase for it. Being here makes me feel like it was all just yesterday,” Walker muttered, glancing around.
He’d infamously spent more time in the labyrinth than he had on campus, so that feeling made sense. After a moment, his gaze returned to his juniors.
“While their work is on campus, I won’t get many opportunities to see you. That’s a real shame.”
“? Will we not bump into you down here?”
“Not so much, no. The labyrinth monitor role I took has been an empty slot for a while now—the extreme depth investigator. In other words, I’m in charge of looking into everything on the sixth layer and below. The difficulties and dangers are off the charts, so they weren’t about to let a fresh-faced graduate tackle it—I had to get out there and prove myself a while. I figured it would take about a decade but somehow pulled it off while you were still here!”
Walker accompanied this with a carefree smile, but they could easily imagine how relentless a pace he must have set. The specifics were different—but the standards this job required were likely every bit as high as a Kimberly instructor. Achieving that in ten years would have been a feat—and Walker had managed it in a third of that time. He must have worked his head off, racking up accomplishments—and neither could imagine what.
“…The sixth on down? That’s past where students are even allowed to tread. Well, except…”
“Yeah, that’s where I got lost for the better part of a year. I swore I’d go back one day—no matter how many years or decades it took me.”
“Mm, and didn’t I say I was dying to hear more about it?” a new voice cut in.
Oliver and Guy jumped and swung around to find an instructor emerging from a side passage. A beautifully androgynous face above gaudy robes—unmistakably Rod Farquois.
“…Instructor Farquois.”
“Oh, hey there, Mx. Farquois. Mm? Did you say that?” Walker blinked, crooking his head.
Farquois pursed their lips but soon recovered. “I did! I’m curious about your experiences, so I asked if we could discuss them at length—perhaps tonight.”
“Oh yeah—I just assumed you were being polite. Sorry, my bad. My head was full of the labyrinth and my juniors!”
Realizing his blunder, Walker was all too ready to apologize, and that made Rod Farquois visibly flinch. For reasons totally lost on the Survivor. He was busy beaming and offering a suggestion.
“Hey! What say we chat a bit on the way to the sixth layer? I’d love the chance to show these kids what it’s like, and they’ll be safer with a teacher along.”
“…Good lord. Not only do you ignore my invitation, but you also intend to turn me into a bodyguard?”
“Not up for it? Shame! We’ll have to talk some other day, then. Might be a while—it’ll be at least a month before I’m back on campus!”
With that boisterous promise, Walker turned his back. Oliver’s and Guy’s jaws hit the floor.
Farquois was on Walker in a flash, hand gripping his shoulder tight. “Did I say no? Bodyguard? Fine! I’ll gladly take that on. No reason not to. It won’t even make me break a sweat.”
“That’s the spirit! I’m counting on you!”
Walker swung back, took Farquois’s hand, and shook it vigorously. The great sage’s face was now actively twitching. Clearly the sight of a lifetime, and neither Guy nor Oliver dared to move. But at last, their minds caught up with the present.
“…Um, Walker?” said Oliver.
“You make it sound like…,” Guy started.
“Yep, you two come along and check out the sixth layer! My privileges only let me take you as far as the entrance, and if you went in, you’d probably die, so this’ll just be a quick glimpse.”
A terrifying statement, but it certainly piqued their curiosity. The Survivor’s offer made Guy and Oliver exchange glances…and then both nodded.