Brisk air blew through Bria’s hair as she leaned against a tree, chewing on something similar to an apple. Bumble fluttered around her, occasionally landing to sip some of the juices off her fingers. It had been thirteen days since their time in the dungeon and the threats given to them by Ri-durak. Since then, someone had followed them everywhere, even on the petty noticeboard tasks pinned at the local taverns. Neth ended up extending their shared room out for the remainder of the month, but that was simply for the benefit of anyone investigating their situation.
Currently, Neth-amii was speaking with someone ahead of her in line, having a delightful conversation by all appearances. Yet, the person she was speaking with was an employee of the archive out to pick up lunch for some of their staff. They made the journey daily, and once Neth-amii had realized it, she made sure to always get in line behind them and strike up a conversation.
Unfortunately, Bria didn’t trust herself to not give the game away, and so, she left it to Neth instead. Things seemed to be progressing well enough, if the laughter between them was any indication. She just hoped that they didn’t have to spend months playing this daily game just to get something actionable.
“Did you hear? There was another death in the dungeon.”
Bria turned towards the conversation, taking in the pair walking past. She’d heard a few rumors at this point about a sudden uptick in dungeon related deaths. Unfortunately, it wasn’t unheard of for delvers to just die, but these were almost daily, and started up right before they arrived in the city.
That didn’t feel like a coincidence, and yet, she couldn’t prove anything. They hadn’t booked another session, and Bria didn’t dare venture anywhere without Neth-amii close at hand. She knew without doubt that Ri-durak wouldn’t hesitate to use her as leverage against her friend. So, they were stuck playing stubbornly along as if they weren’t making progress.
Finally, Neth waved goodbye to her new friend and joined Bria under the shade of the tree. Bumble fluttered over to her, settling on her shoulder with an excited buzz. A bowl of rice and sauteed vegetables was handed over and Bria accepted it, even if it was growing a bit stale having food from the same stall each day, especially with the limited variety of offered toppings.
“I think we finally have our way in,” Neth-amii said as she began to eat.
Bria paused for a moment with the spoon almost to her mouth, then finally took her own bite to hide their conversation. Just across the street was a poorly concealed man with a martial build that was trying to look as though he was just browsing the wares along the street. He was doing a rather miserable job of it.
“Speak while chewing,” Bria reminded Neth as she watched the man out of the corner of her eye. “We don’t want him warning Ri-durak what we’ve planned.”
A slight wince crossed Neth-amii’s features before smoothing back out into a pleasant smile as she ate. “True. There’s a group of academy students entering the archives today.”
Okay…
“I don’t think we have time for me to enroll,” Bria said slowly as she chewed. It went against everything her mother had taught her about etiquette, but needs must. “Unless your plan is for me to get onto the next tour.”
Neth laughed, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “Nothing so complicated. Merely that there will be people entering the archive that are not known scribes. It is an opportunity.”
“One which might be fabricated for our benefit,” Bria argued, slowing how fast she was eating to make the food last through the conversation. The downside of actually being hungry. “Ri-duark might be feeling us out with this.”
A heavy sigh followed, then Neth pulled a soda from her pack and downed half of it. She then let out a heavy belch which drew more than a few eyes towards her, but turned away others. With that, she went back to her food as if nothing happened. Blinking, Bria realized that more than a few of the people that had been watching them had turned away.
“It is always a risk, but one we will need to take eventually,” Neth-amii said after taking another bite. “We shall simply follow the students in and do what we can to meet this mysterious Gil-hana.”
Recalling her own videos from classes, Bria couldn’t help but ask. “Does this academy have a uniform?”
“Oh,” Neth said softly, looking down as she did. “That may prove to be a problem. I did not attend this school, you see…”
Bria pulled her friend into a one-armed hug. “Hey, it’s okay. This is the best chance we’ve gotten, so why not take it? The worst that happens is he thinks because we ran into resistance that we’ll give up soon after.”
Which was the farthest thing from what Bria intended. If the worst came to pass, she would simply venture forth into the world and return once she had gained more strength to stand up to powerful people like Ri-durak. For now, she didn’t have that option. Her level was barely above the average citizen who ventured beyond the walls for work. She needed more.
“How long do we have?” Bria asked as she finished her bowl.
Neth followed suit. “An hour or so, which means we need find a method of leaving this man behind.”
Bria snorted. “That’s easy. Lead us back to our room, I’ll handle the rest.”
A gentle smile accompanied an inquisitive tilt of her head as Neth-amii handed over her now empty bowl. As usual, Bria deposited it back at the stall and followed her off back towards the tavern where their room was. As they walked, Bria kept an eye towards the man following them. He was good, always looking at something else when they turned, but was about as subtle as a Basketball star visiting the island.
[Human Lv. 8]
Not the strongest she had seen, but Bria had no illusions to her chances against the man if it came to a fight. So, they made their way back to the tavern knowing full well that he was hot on their heels, just as he was every day.
As they stepped into the tavern, Bria marched through the room with purpose, heading not for the stairs to the rooms, but into the kitchen. Neth followed behind, not missing a single step as they passed through the empty room.
By the time the man entered the tavern behind them, they were through the door without him the wiser. The only person within the kitchen was the owner’s son, who was hiding in the corner smoking something he probably shouldn’t. Well, it wasn’t any of Bria’s business.
Bria pulled out a couple of bronze cores and set them down, not breaking eye contact with the startled teen. “Anyone asks about us, you saw us head to our rooms.”
He looked at them for a moment, then pocketed the cores and said nothing.
Nodding, Bria continued on, studiously ignoring how Neth was snickering as they passed out into the alley behind the tavern. Glancing down both sides, Bria ignored the man rummaging through the compost collection and pressed on, delving into the back alleys of Brookvale.
“I did not expect it to be so easy,” Neth-amii said after a moment.
“He’s going to send someone to the archive,” Bria said, “or someone is already watching it. All I’ve managed is to lose our current tail.”
“Which was quite impressive, I might say,” Neth mused. “Very well, I shall take over the next portion when we arrive at the archives.”
Grateful for that, the pair moved deeper into the city, cutting through the back alleys of the city until they needed to cross into the administrative district. From there, she knew that Ri-durak’s eyes would be all about. Pulling her hood up, Bria silently wished for rain. As it was, two hooded people stood out a bit more than the rest of those going about their business.
A downside to Neth’s gorgeous pink hair, she stood out a bit.
Granted, eclectic hair colors were more common in Brookvale than she expected, but Bria hadn’t seen many women with pink hair. Plenty of blue and red, however. Purple and even silver were also common enough, making her mundane brown almost rare.
Despite standing out, Bria didn’t think they drew much attention as they made their way through the crowds and towards the building that held the archive entrance. There, it was hard to miss the line of people all dressed in the same purple robes lined up by the door as someone dressed in white was performing a headcount.
“They have a uniform,” Bria said dryly.
Pinching her nose, Neth looked up to the sky with her eyes closed. “I can see that. It just means we need to come up with a different plan.”
Watching the students, she couldn’t help but notice how two of them were hanging back and leaning on one another. Were they a couple? Both were young men, but that thought didn’t bother Bria as much as she expected. She’d always been taught that boys could only love girls, and that boys loving boys was bad. Girls loving girls wasn’t any better, but didn’t get brought up by their church as much.
As she watched the group file inside, the pair didn’t immediately move with them. An idea came to Bria as they lingered, one that would be risky. Approaching the slacking students, Bria stepped up beside them.
“Hey,” she whispered to the two men. “Is the archive really that boring?”
“Not really,” one said, yawning. “I just stayed up too late reading and would rather be in bed.”
The other nodded slightly, their head staying dipped a bit longer than it probably should have. “Our current studies don’t need the archive, so this is a bit of a waste.”
Grinning, Bria gave Neth a quick wink. “Then we might have a solution. How would the two of you like to take a nap while someone else wears your robes and puts in an appearance?”
The young men looked at one another, hesitation clear upon their faces. Worse, neither looked to be half-asleep any longer. Bria realized quickly that she probably screwed up. If caught, these boys would be the ones to get in trouble. Her mind raced for a solution, but one wasn’t forthcoming.
“There’s a silver core each in it for the both of you,” Neth-amii interjected. “Just tell someone you dozed off and when you woke, your robes were gone. We just need to speak to a researcher and the person in charge is being stingy.”
“Oh, I hate when they are like that,” one said. “Sure, I think we can do that, don’t you?”
The other nodded. “Easiest silver I ever earned.”
The small orbs changed hands and robes were handed over. Their cloaks were quickly tucked into expanded packs. Then, the robes were pulled over their heads. Bria and Neth were soon adorned in the bright purple robes of whatever academy the pair attended. Flashing each other matching smiles, they caught up with the other students just before they made it through the door.
Inside was almost mundane. Stone walls stood about twice Bria’s height and the space was cast in a dull glow from lanterns along the walls. They weren’t lit with fire, however, but glowed almost like an electric bulb. A magical artifact then! Such things were what Mister Ruiz wanted Bria to bring back, but she didn’t think it would be so easy. They weren’t something sold on the streets, which suggested they were reserved for those who could afford them.
Following the students, they were directed past the guards and into the archive proper. Bria was ready to step out of line when she finally came up to a railing. From there, she could peer down into the depths of the earth. At least a dozen railed spaces decorated the descending pit, each full of tables and shelves with people hard at work on something or other.
“Try not to act too stunned,” Neth said softly. “Even if it is an impressive sight.”
Bria swallowed the excitement that wanted to flow forth, and instead reconsidered their approach. How were they going to find Gil-hana in a place so large? They couldn’t just ask, not if they were someone involved in a project for the crown. Anyone asking would just make people suspicious at best.
The group descended two floors before stepping back out into the open space, but Neth held Bria back in the stairwell. “We’re not going to find them wandering around blindly.”
“I’m open to suggestions,” Bria said.
Tapping her chin, Neth stood there for a moment lost in thought. After a few minutes, she blinked, focus returning to the present.
“Huh, maybe it is that simple,” she muttered, “Bria, can I see that journal for a moment?”
Confused, Bria found the ancient record in her bag and handed it over. Neth-amii took a moment to thumb through it, then walked over to one of the researchers currently working at a table.
“Excuse me,” she said, holding the book. “I think someone dropped this. Could you help me figure out how to get it back to them?”
The woman blinked, looking up from her scroll. Taking a look at the text on the page, she let out a heavy sigh. “I see that Gil is scattered as ever. Fourth floor, section seven.”
“Thank you so much,” Neth-amii said, already heading back towards the stairwell.
“It really was that easy,” Bria whispered, almost not quite believing it.
“Right?” Neth-amii said, practically skipping in place.
They were quick to check the directory and find their way towards the proper section of the archives. A few people had to be consulted for more specific directions, and at least one paled when they heard the name Gil-hana, but that could be down to their enthusiasm if nothing else.
Stairs quickly became Bria’s bane as they descended further into the depths. The temperature dropped steadily, then leveled off somewhere around fall levels. It made her wish for something heavier than her current linens. The climate of the other side was similar enough to her own island that cold hadn’t even crossed her mind.
Note to self, pick up a cloak or something to keep warm.
Each floor was carved from the stone with pillars holding it up that fused perfectly with the ceiling above. Be it magic or handcrafting, she couldn’t say for certain, but the effect was impressive. Small orbs kept the archives illuminated, and occasionally they would pass someone who would touch a dimming section to restore it.
Section seven does nothing to stand out from the last three floors and dozens of sections they had passed through. The scale of it impressed, but Bria was quickly finding she wanted to just get back to the surface.
“This is it!” Neth-amii declared, entering the door.
Inside were rows of carved shelves of stone lined with scrolls, books, and familiar sheets of stamped metal. Yet, the room appeared empty. The pair shared a look, then started walking through the aisles. Five minutes later they had looped back to the start.
“Nobody’s here,” Bria said. “Maybe they stepped out for lunch?”
Laughter filled the air behind them as three people rushed into the room. Bria and Neth-amii shared a look as they ducked back, watching the children with concern. How had they even made it into the archive when they had to practically sneak in?
“Quick, while they’re distracted,” one boy said, giggling along.
Peeking around the corner, Bria’s eyes widened as one of the kids grabbed a handful of scrolls from the shelf and shoved them into his bag. The other two were also grabbing scrolls, but one of them paused as he looked back and forth before shoving a rather familiar amulet into the bag.
[Human]
And they truly were children, with not even a single scrap of experience among them. Well, if classes worked the way Neth-amii had hinted, these kids might just have a thievery class waiting for them upon reaching level ten.
“Should we do something?” Bria whispered.
“Yes,” Neth-amii said firmly. “When shall we interfere?”
Bria pondered that for a moment. “Stop them before they leave. If we go after them now they’ll scatter and we might miss one.”
“And we will have them captured with ample evidence,” Neth-amii said with a grin.
Nodding, Bria shifted into position, calling upon [Enhance] just to be certain that even a surprise wouldn’t be enough to break past her. The kids continued to raid the shelves for several moments, then they began to run for the door. Bumble moved first, darting right past one poor kid’s head. He squealed, and bumped into another out of seemingly nowhere.
Bria stepped out then, shield on her arm but sword sheathed. The first kid plowed right into her and fell back, crying out as he did. The other two stopped, their eyes widening. One turned to run back into the room, but Neth-amii was there, her magic flaring as panes of translucent glass appeared, blocking their escape. The boy who ran into her picked himself back up and threw a punch at the barrier, only to scream when it was his hand that gave out instead of the barrier.
“There will be none of that,” Neth-amii said as Bumble circled her head. “We are going to sit here and wait until someone comes along and you can explain why you felt the need to steal from the archive.”
“It was just a joke,” one of the girls exclaimed. “The meanie that works here keeps us from having fun.”
“Yeah, we just wanted to get back at them!”
Shaking her head, Bria opened her mouth to ask something else when a small figure stepped into the room, stilling the kids almost instantly. They barely came up to Bria’s chest, with a shock of blue for hair that desperately needed a comb. Their attention shifted from the cornered kids to Bria herself, their crimson eyes piercing in a way that sent a chill straight to her very soul.
[Savage Librarian Lv. 11]
Yeah, she could believe that. “Gil-hana, I presume?”
“Indeed,” they said, Bria unable to even guess if they were a man or woman. Everything about their appearance suggested little in either direction, which almost felt intentional? Could the magic that was changing Bria into a woman make someone into something that was neither? Thoughts for later. “I thank you for stopping these troublemakers. They’ve been quite the pests lately.”
“Only because you won’t let us play!” the boy shouted.
Gil-hana sighed. “I have told you many times, there is a time and place for everything.”
“But—”
A mace of solid light slammed into the reading table beside Bria, the crash resonating violently as wood splintered. The children stilled, and Bria swallowed heavily as she and Neth-amii traded worried glances. The receptionist had clearly not experienced this side of them, because that exasperation would have been replaced with sheer terror.
The mace vanished into motes of light, then a wave of their hand had the table [Mend] itself. “I have been lenient since you joined the library as a helper, but there are rules for a reason. Go find Bar-hyr, please. I would rather not explain to him again why I had to discipline his charges again.”
The two girls left the bags containing the stolen scrolls where they fell, but the boy started to slip a small scroll into his sleeve while Gil-hana spoke with the younger ones. Bria stepped forward, startling the boy into dropping his pilfered prize.
Gil-hana looked back, then grimaced. “Did Ri-durak tell you to retrieve that for him?”
Bria couldn’t help her sharp intake of breath at the mention of Neth-amii’s obsessed suitor. He was the entire reason that they had to sneak in, and it should have been obvious that Gil-hana was well aware of him. After a moment, the librarian sighed and sent the trio of children off. They picked up the scroll that had fallen and looked it over for damages.
“Why does he insist on taking this?” Gil-hana asked, looking the scroll over. “This is just a small account of administrative work. There is nothing important to be learned.”
“Perhaps there is more to it than we understand,” Bria said, glancing at the carvings along the scroll. “Like a hidden compartment or something?”
Gil-hana shrugged, moving to pick up the rest of the fallen documents. Neth moved to help, and Bria studiously ignored when she slipped something of her own into a pocket.
“It matters not. He has come often enough to read through the documents that his knowledge on the subject likely rivals my own. I almost regret that we shared a tutor.”
“Why can’t that man simply keep to himself?” Neth-amii asked the room at large. “It is as though nobody taught him the meaning of rejection.”
“Ah, you are experienced with his…insistent nature,” Gil-hana said in commiseration. “I unfortunately share in that plight. He has been most pressing when it comes to information on the Those Who Came Before.”
“Truly?” Neth-amii asked. “He’s never brought up the subject with me.”
Gil-hana paused as they looked at Neth-amii. “You’re the Shrine Priestess he is enamored with.”
“Unfortunately,” Neth-amii grumbled. “The man just cannot accept that I have zero interest in him.”
“A blunt object to the face proved most effective in my experience,” Gil-hana said.
Wait, had they? Neth-amii broke out into open laughter, no doubt having come up with a similar mental image. Despite the level gap between them, Bria could see how that could be a deterrent if applied correctly.
Wiping a very real tear from her eye, the Shrine Priestess bowed slightly. “Neth-amii, it is a pleasure to meet you. This is my friend and companion Bria. Her story is quite the interesting one.”
Just the simple act of being introduced in the feminine sent flutters through Bria’s stomach, but they didn’t feel bad. Actually, it felt quite nice. No matter how she tried to avoid it, there didn’t seem to be a way around the simple truth.
“Hi,” Bria said, unsure how to best explain herself. “I’m uh, from the other side of the portal housed at Neth-amii’s shrine?”
“The manaless void world,” Gil-hana said, their breath exploding from them as they spoke. “Are you a descendant of the metal mages that attacked the guardians?”
“Not mages, but kinda?” Bria said, rubbing the back of her head. Had her hair grown even longer? Crap, it was past her shoulders now. “The Spanish used metal sticks with explosive powder to propel a ball of lead at enemies.”
“Fascinating,” the librarian said, pen and paper suddenly in hand as they began to write. “Please, I have so many questions to ask of you.”
“I could say the same,” Bria said, pulling out the book she had taken from the archive on the island. “But first, could you go over this and some other things we discovered? We sort of pulled a fast one on Ri-durak to sneak in here so we could get this to you.”
Taking the book, Gil-hana’s eyes flicked over the words, their expression shifting quickly from mild interest to extreme alarm.
“We cannot discuss this here,” Gil-hana said, their voice a sharp whisper. “Come, we must leave the city with haste.”
Before the librarian could dart past them, Neth-amii caught them by the shoulder. “Please, we are willing to follow, but could you not tell us more?”
Panic had overtaken their every feature, as if they expected enemies to be lurking within each shadow cast by the light.
“You have no idea what you hold,” Gil-hana said, holding the book up. “This is the key to a mystery known only to a scant few. It all makes sense now, why Ri-durak wants that scroll, and why this book was stored in a completely different world.”
Blinking, Bria held up a hand to interject. “How dangerous could the knowledge be?”
“It is the key and the map,” Gil-hana whispered. “To find the Tomb of The Endless Shadow. The one who felled The Blessed Light which graced us with magic ten thousand years past.”
Not quite understanding what any of that meant, Bria blinked as Gil-hana pinched their nose. There was a moment of muttering, but it passed quickly as Gil-hana affixed her with a stern expression full of fear.
“It is the resting place of Ashe-rah, the Mourning Star.”