Cloud slowly opened the next door,
revealing a library with several rows of bookshelves. In the center of the room
sat a dusty oak desk strewn with tattered tomes, behind which drifted a ghost
librarian who was deeply engrossed in a book.
“What do you see?” Sir Kevin whispered
from behind Cloud.
“It’s a library with some ghost
reading a book. Shouldn’t be a problem,” the feline rogue replied.
“Alright, who’s going in first?”
the knight asked.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Hamawk
screamed as he barreled through the door, mace held high and ready to wreck
some ghosts.
“SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” the ghost hissed
as she whirled around and hurled the book she was reading at the charging barbarian.
Hamawk reflexively raised the stump
of his arm to catch the book with his metal hand, momentarily forgetting its
absence. With a loud THUNK!, the book slammed into the goblin’s face,
knocking him flat on his back.
As the rest of the party rushed
into the fray, Cloud quietly perused the rows of books, searching for any rare
and valuable items that may lie within. She quickly scanned shelf after shelf, tome
after tome, until something finally caught her eye: “Wendellor’s Ultimate Guide
to Constructs”. The cat person recalled that Wendellor was known as the first
and greatest artificer, and his works were rare and extremely valuable.
Ignoring the clamor of battle behind her, Cloud snatched the book from the
shelf and tucked it safely into her bag of holding, which can magically store
far more than its exterior dimensions suggest. Little did she know, she was
being watched.
----------
Ferrum was sitting in his chair
sorting through mission reports and other such paperwork when his cell stone
began to vibrate and, in its usual excited voice, shouted “You have a call from
Blex!”. The rogue hastily picked up the call knowing that the guild master
would be displeased if made to wait.
“Ferrum, I have a mission for you,”
the beholder stated imperiously.
“I’m listening,” the lieutenant
replied.
The guild master took in a deep
breath before launching into a rant. “I have discovered that the tabaxi has
recovered a copy of ‘Wendellor’s Ultimate Guide to Constructs’, which she
undoubtedly plans to give to that sniveling coward Mayor Bill as part of his
scheme to destroy me! But it will never work! I need you to take whatever
forces you think you may need and bring me that book by any means necessary! And
whatever you do, don’t let it fall into Bill’s hands . . . or else!” the
beholder finished.
“That should not be a problem,”
Ferrum affirmed, stifling a chuckle at the latest of Blex’s theoretical plots
against himself.
“Also, make sure not to harm that
book. I have big plans for it!”, the beholder hinted excitedly.
“Noted. I shall begin the
preparations right away. Is there anything else you need to talk to me about?” the
second-in-command queried.
“No. That is everything. Just make
sure to begin preparations right away . . . C-ya’!” the eye tyrant replied as
he ended the call.
At that last comment, Ferrum nearly
spit out a sip of his cider. Beholders were known for their eccentric and
unpredictable demeanors, and Blex was certainly no exception.
---------
Just as Cloud returned from behind a
row of bookshelves Sir Kevin vanquished the ghostly librarian with a final
swing of his divinely charged blade.
“Where were you?” the knight
queried irritably.
“I was checking the rest of the
library for additional ghosts so we don’t get ambushed mid fight again,” the
cat person lied.
“Well, did you find any?” Kevin
asked.
“Nope. We’re all clear,” she
answered.
“Hey guys, I found a trap door over
in the corner.” Hamawk interrupted.
“Let’s have a look,” replied the
knight.
The party gathered around the trap
door as Hamawk attempted to open it, but failed miserably due to his missing
arm.
Tired of waiting, Boomer reached out his hands from which swept a wave of thunderous force, hurtling the incompetent goblin into the nearest wall. The bird man proceeded to fling open the trap door, and with a cry of “For Sparta!”, leapt down the hole, ready to confront whatever may lie below.
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