by Phoenix Grey
“You seem pretty eager.” Expressionless, Lonnell stared at his friend.
Azure shrugged as he walked toward the chest. “What can I say? I love loot.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s yours,” Janine reminded him. “Depending on what’s inside, we should Rock, Paper, Scissors for it.”
He glanced back at her. “No, you and I should Rock, Paper, Scissors for it. We need to keep this shit equal.” He made a triangle gesture with his finger.
“True.” She looked at Lonnell to see if he’d be offended by being left out since he’d won their last bought and claimed the healing ring. He didn’t seem bothered in the least.
“All right. Let’s see what’s inside.” Azure flipped the lid on the chest, his adrenaline racing with anticipation.
Inside was a piece of rolled up parchment. Expecting it to be a part of the puzzle, a frown took over Azure’s face. When he picked it up and unrolled it, a notification popped up.
You have received the following item:
Weak Scroll of Pestilence
Mana Cost: 0
Range: 100 feet
Target: Single
Item Class: Uncommon
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Decreases victims Health points by 10 for 5 minutes. Crumple up and throw at target to activate.
At the top of the scroll was the image of a hand covered in boils.
This is more useful than I thought it would be. While Azure was far less disappointed than he had thought he would be upon seeing the item, he still wished it had been a piece of armor or a ring instead.
"What is it?" Janine looked over his shoulder to read the scroll.
"It's a spell scroll," Lonnell informed her. "They're only one-time use, but they're great if you don't want to or can't afford to learn magic. They're also worth a good amount."
Hearing this made Azure's greed swell again.
"Ready to Rock, Paper, Scissors for it?" He tossed the scroll back into the chest and readied his fist.
Janine nodded, staring at Azure's hand intently as they said the words to start the game.
"Goddamnit!" Azure jerked his head away as he lost yet again.
"Ha! Ha!" Janine mocked him, snatching the scroll from the chest and placing it in her bag. "Better luck next time."
"Well, whatever is in the next chest, I'm definitely getting." Azure crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.
"If there is another chest," Lonnell mumbled under his breath. He had already walked away from them and begun scanning the shelves. When he got to the L's, he shook his head. "There has to be over a thousand books here that start with the letter L. I have no idea how we're supposed to find what we're looking for."
"Maybe the title will have his name in it." Shoving his disappointment aside, Azure turned his attention to the bookshelf.
Soon, they were all huddled together scanning over books on the varies levels of the shelf. After about five minutes, Lonnell started at the beginning, pulling the books out one at a time and looking inside of their covers.
"What are you looking for?" Azure asked him.
"Anything that might give us a clue as to which book is the right one."
He began doing the same, and Janine followed. About thirty minutes later and with no luck, she placed a book back onto the shelf with an exasperated sigh. "This is getting us nowhere."
"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Lonnell's voice came out in a rush.
"Let's explore the rest of the library. Maybe there are clues that we're missing."
"She's right." Azure slid the book he'd been skimming through back onto the shelf. "We're not making any progress like this. I refuse to believe that solving this puzzle is supposed to be this difficult."
Lonnell's shoulders slumped slightly, but they could tell that he felt the same way. "Yeah. All right. Let's look around some more."
They walked back to the end of the shelves then turned left to continue down. On the very next row over, the ghostly boy was waiting for them, the same deadpan look on his face. There were also several piles of bones with weapons. As soon as Azure stepped foot beyond the border of the shelves, the boy darted to the left, disappearing through the bookshelf. One of the books glowed where he had passed through, but they didn't have time to focus on that. The skeletons were beginning to rise.
All three Adventurers drew their weapons, knowing that it was too much for Janine to handle on her own. Five dreaded bones erected themselves from their rubble piles, their jawbones somehow able to contort into menacing grins.
The small space between shelves made it hard for them to fight efficiently. Every misplaced swing sent books showering down around them. Azure tripped on one and fell back. Thankfully, Lonnell was so close that he was able to catch him. The skeleton that Azure had been engaged in melee with took advantage of the situation, moving forward to swing his sword down, only to trip on another book and land on top of him.
"Son of a!" Azure smacked the skeleton in the back of the neck with the pommel of his sword, effectively cracking its spine. Another good hit sent its skull plummeting to the ground.
Defeated Level 8 Dreaded Bones. 56XP rewarded.
There wasn't much time to focus on the victory, though. Another skeleton came up right behind its comrade to fight him. A quick stab through its boney ribcage and an upward slash were enough to do it in.
Defeated Level 8 Dreaded Bones. 56XP rewarded.
The skeletons didn't cry out in pain when they died like most of the other monsters in The Realm. Instead, they just clattered to the ground, returning to how they were before. Azure was admittedly surprised that they didn't reassemble to attack again. It certainly seemed possible.
By the time the battle was over, Janine had slain two of the skeletons while Lonnell had defeated the fifth by knocking it in the head a few times with his staff over his comrade's shoulders. It had been an awkward fight, but they had gotten the job done with minimal injuries. Once the last of the skeletons fell, they all knelt to loot the bodies.
You have received the following items:
Dreaded Short Sword
Attack: +6-11
Type: One-Handed Weapon
Durability: 11/30
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 7.5 kg
Dreaded Longsword
Attack: +2-7
Type: One-Handed Weapon
Durability: 27/28
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 5.0 kg
It was nothing usable, but Azure hoped he'd get good coin for it at the market.
Lonnell finished looting his dreaded bones first and had moved over to pick up the glowing book. Azure stepped up beside him to look at the cover. It was a thin book bound in green leather, and the title read Ghouls of Patheana. He made grabby hands for Lonnell to pass it over.
You have received the following item:
Book: Ghouls of Patheana
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.0 kg
Uses: Quest Item
Flipping it open, Azure saw that the book was a type of mini-bestiary on ghosts, ghouls, and skeletons. It seemed pretty useful, and he hoped he’d get to keep it once they were done using it for the quest.
“I think we’re supposed to follow the kid,” Janine said as she rejoined the group.
“Judging from the direction he ran in, it appears he’s going in order of the spelling of his name,” Lonnell added.
Azure nodded, placing the book in his Bag of Holding. “Let’s go.”
The boy was not waiting for them in the next row over, but there was another chest. Feeling fairly confident that it wasn’t a trap, the group diverted to open it. Azure was on edge, knowing that whatever was inside was his. He desperately hoped that it wasn’t something that sucked.
You have received the following item:
Loot Automizer Pendant
Type: Jewelry
Durability: 10/10
Item Class: Rare
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Traits: Point at a downed foe to automatically loot their body. Loot found on monsters will be randomized and does not have to be specific to that particular monster but will belong to that monster type. Each use costs 1 Durability.
“Oh, wow.” Azure jutted his head back for a second before quickly fastening the pendant around his neck. The item was every bit as good as the Burst of Health ring that Lonnell had gotten.
“It’s an amazing find.” Lonnell patted him on the back with a smile, making Azure feel guilty that he’d been such a bad sport about his friend having won the ring.
“Too bad it doesn’t have a higher durability. But beggars can’t be choosers.”
Azure got his first chance to use the pendant when they walked to the end of the line of bookshelves. There, the boy was waiting for them again, as were five more piles of bones. The boy touched a book on the far wall, causing it to glow, then he sprinted through the bookshelf to his right, probably running back to the L section.
All three Adventurers readied themselves as the dreaded bones began to rise. Another awkward match of close quarters hack and slash took place, and soon they were ready to loot the bodies again.
The number of kills was balanced the same as last time. Azure stood over the bodies of his fallen foes debating on using the pendant. Compared to crayfish and game animals, the skeletons were incredibly clean to loot. All he needed to do was pick up whatever weapons they had dropped. Seeing as how the pendant could only be used nine times before it would need to be repaired, Azure decided to wait until he came across a foe that would either be messy to loot or that he didn't know anything about.
Having made his decision, Azure knelt to loot his kills.
You have received the following items:
Bone Chips
Quantity: 1
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.1 kg
Uses: Crafting Component
Dreaded Short Sword
Attack: +6-11
Type: One-Handed Weapon
Durability: 11/30
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 7.5 kg
Again, nothing impressive, but every little bit helped. Getting these crafting components did make Azure wonder what all he could make himself. Perhaps he'd have to ask Garion about it when they returned to Squall's End.
Upon collecting their items, Janine pulled the next book from the shelf, reading the title aloud. “This one is called Armando Shurman the Great.”
Azure turned to Lonnell. “Ever heard of him before?”
“I’m afraid not.” He shook his head.
“That’s surprising.”
“Just because I’m well read doesn’t mean I know everything about everyone who ever existed in The Realm,” Lonnell said a bit defensively.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it in that way, but I suppose that’s how it came out.” Azure shifted his weight.
“It’s fine.” Lonnell continued toward the L section, leaving Azure and Janine to catch up.
Gallus was waiting for them again. He reached out and touched two of the books on the bookshelf to his left, and they began to glow. Then he darted through the bookshelf to his right, presumably heading to the U section.
Considering that they'd already looted the chest in this area, all they needed to do was claim the two books, one of which was titled Little Nightingale and the other of which was called The Lights of Brinegrasp.
“What’s Brinegrasp?” Janine asked as she stared at the cover. It was blue with what appeared to be a lighthouse crudely drawn onto the front.
“Brinegrasp is a small coastal town on the very southeastern edge of Volflela. If you look out over the water at night near Wiljour Lighthouse, you can supposedly see lights of various colors dancing on the water. No one has ever been able to figure out what they are, but many believe that they’re the souls of the dead trying to escape The Deathlands.”
“That sounds spooky.” Janine placed the book in her bag and then hugged herself.
“You know we’re in a haunted mansion.” Azure smirked at her.
“Beneath it, technically,” Lonnell corrected him.
“It’s still haunted.” He strode up behind Janine and made ghostly noises.
She promptly reached around to smack him away. “Stop it! I was trying to forget.”
“Kinda hard to when we’re chasing a ghost.” Azure gave her a sarcastic side-eye.
Janine gestured in the direction that Gallus had gone. “He doesn’t seem too ghostly. Just a translucent kid roaming around.”
“Still a ghost.” He turned around, walking a few paces with his hands clasped behind his head until the sight of a chest down the next aisle made him stop. It was as if the ghostly boy’s presence hadn’t even registered to him. “Yay! More loot.”
Gallus touched the bookcase to his left to make one of the books glow, then jogged a few feet to his right and did the same before running straight toward Azure.
“Whoa, kid!” Azure held his hands out, his eyes widening in panic. He didn’t even have time to draw his sword before Gallus passed right through him.
Both Lonnell and Janine gave the ghost a wide berth as it made a beeline for the bookshelf door, running straight through it and disappearing out of sight.
“That was weird.” Azure blew out a breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding as he patted himself down. It hadn’t felt strange when Gallus had entered his body and emerged from the other side. In fact, it felt like nothing at all.
“Are you okay?” Janine approached him with a look of concern.
“I think so. I mean, I don't feel any different.”
“That’s good.” Her features relaxed as she walked over to one of the bookshelves, seeming to be avoiding him, just in case.
Lonnell went to retrieve the last of the books while Azure headed for the chest, still feeling strange from having a ghost walk through him. Hopefully, it hadn’t done anything unforeseen to him, but he guessed he wouldn’t really know unless some sort of symptom manifested.
Not anywhere near as enthusiastic before—mainly because he was concerned with his health—Azure opened the lid of the chest to reveal what was inside. He knitted his brow, his focus diverted as he saw a long piece of leather with metal spikes attached to it curled up inside of the box.
You have received the following item:
Black Barbed Whip
Attack: +2-9
Strength: +1
Agility: +1
Intelligence: +3
Type: One-Handed Weapon
Durability: 16/28
Item Class: Extremely Rare
Quality: Average
Weight: 1.0 kg
Upon lifting the item, his mind immediately went to two very different places. The first was a BDSM sex video. The second was to an old movie called The Passion of the Christ. This thing looked like it was designed to inflict a crazy amount of pain on whoever or whatever was on the receiving end.
“Oh, good lord.” Janine pinched her eyes together as she looked at the whip.
“That is a whole lot of ouch, but the stats on this thing are insane.” Azure read them off as he let the whip out, listening to the leather thud against the floor and the clack of the metal spikes.
“You guys can Rock, Paper, Scissors for it. I don’t want it.” Janine made a swatting gesture at the whi
p and then walked away.
“Why not?” Azure smirked at her. “Too kinky for you?”
“Boy,” she threw over her shoulder, giving him a look that was pure dwarven seduction, “you don’t know what kinky is until I’ve shown it to you. That thing, though,” she turned her gaze to the whip, losing all sexiness, “that’s pure sadism.”
“It’s a good weapon,” Lonnell defended the weapon.
“Then feel free to fight over it. Like I said, I don’t want it.” Janine turned away from them and dropped her gaze to the book in her hand.
To be honest, Azure didn’t want it as a weapon either. The value in the item to him was in its stat boosts. Plus, with an item class of Extremely Rare, it had to be expensive.
“Rock, Paper, Scissors for it?” he asked Lonnell.
“Sure.” Lonnell tucked the book under his arm and readied his fist.
Azure won with rock, but he wasn’t exactly ecstatic over forfeiting his right to the next two chests they found. Everything in this dungeon so far had been pure gold, and he was worried he might lose out on something even better than the whip. Briefly, he thought about passing it off to Lonnell since he clearly wanted it, but thoughts of how much the whip was probably worth made him change his mind.
Curious about how the whip worked, Azure wrapped it around his belt, deciding he’d give it a try next time they encountered some skeletons. Not that it would ever be his main weapon.
“Well, it looks like we have all of them.” Janine fondled the book in her hand as if balancing the weight of it. “Should we go finish the puzzle?”
“I kind of want to see what’s down the next two rows,” Azure confessed.