"Holy shit, a Skaven! Specifically from Clan Pestilens!"
"Seriousssly, Kitab? Besides hissstory, do you also know about Warrrhammer?"
"What can I say? I have a lot of free time."
There was no arguing against it for two reasons: first, of course he was a Warhammer fan, why would I think otherwise? And second, it was a Skaven, the thing in front of us was a Skaven.
Isayah had transformed into a huge, hairless rat-man. His muscles expanded and his bones rearranged, tearing his clothes and forcing his body into a quadrupedal form with a curved spine and ribs pressing against his skin.
His limbs lengthened, ending in long, slender phalanges, relatively human, but undoubtedly powerful. A long tail sprouted from the base of his spine, ending in a metallic blade that gleamed in the moonlight, swaying like a serpent.
His arm, previously wrapped in cloths, revealed its severed limb, afflicted by the plague, a swollen and wounded mass, covered in blisters, sores, and pus, with a long blade fused to the stump, serving as a weapon once hidden and now as a crutch to keep him on all fours.
Finally, his iron mask had fused with his face, forming a kind of helmet that opened and closed, transforming his mouth, full of piercing metallic teeth, into a living bear trap, with a horn at the tip of his snout like that of a rhinoceros.
"Do you think he'll leave us alone if we give him some Warp Stone?"
"You'rrre not helping!"
"The treasure-money! Give-deliver it to me! Or I'll kill-kill you all mantings!"
"By the Gods, he even speaks like a Skaven!"
"Oh, ssshut yourrr mouth!"
I had already grown accustomed to the images of the future granted by Nilvan's blessing, however, my hearts raced when I realized how quickly the giant rat's actual movements matched the visions.
I stepped back, narrowly dodging the tail swing aimed at me, a vertical blow that split the ground upon impact, leaving a deep gash where I had previously stood. At that moment I learned that seeing the future was useless if you weren't quick enough to react to what was coming.
Isayah screamed, letting out a screech that sounded more like a roar, making my body vibrate, and charged forward in a frenzied run, ready to tear us apart.
We assumed combat stances and then Madeleine, mounted on Moonless, and I conjured our spells. Black Orb and Combustion, but the monster was agile, dodging out of the way whenever an attack threatened to hit it, leaving clouds of fire and smoke behind.
Then it leaped, reaching an absurd height, for something that size shouldn't be able to jump so high, but even so it did, diving towards us with its blade at the ready.
At this point, dodging was already an instinct; we ran in opposite directions, scattering as the ground opened and rose at the point of impact, shaking the courtyard with a small tremor.
A cloud of earth and dust concealed Isayah, but it wasn't long before he revealed himself. I anticipated the swing that would follow and raised my axe in a defensive position, blocking the bladed tail that cut through the dust cloud.
I was so used to fighting at a distance that I sometimes forgot about my newfound strength, especially with the soul of the Cave Mother in my pocket, so not only did I stay in place, but I managed to parry the blow away.
The tail flew like a whip, and the next blow never hit me, as Cahara closed the distance, delivering a slash with the Blue Sin. Cerulean flames ripped through the air, and the giant rat was forced to use its blade to block the divine sword.
Sparks flashed like stars, raining down on the metal protecting both combatants' bodies. Cahara was pushed back, but even though he didn't gain in strength, his weapon was still superior to his enemy's.
CLANG!
With a snap, Isayah's blade split in two, leaving a scalding stump while the other half flew away. For a moment the mercenary lost his balance due to the lack of obstruction, but managed to recover, taking a step forward and leaving a deep cut in the monster's flesh.
"SCREEE!"
I clenched my teeth, feeling my head spin. As if that wasn't enough, the smell of burnt flesh assaulted my nose, making me gag.
The rags the giant rat wore burst into blue flames, increasing its panic. Madeleine and I took advantage of the opening, sending Black Orb and Locust Swarm respectively.
The effect was immediate; the insects confused our opponent, causing it to thrash uncontrollably as the sphere of darkness collided with its back, creating an explosion, tearing chunks of flesh and bone and throwing it far away.
Isayah slid across the ground, screaming in pain from the open wound in his flesh, but that wasn't the end of my assault. I conjured Glimpse of Truth, enveloping his head in a greenish mist, which, to my satisfaction, made him scream, revealing that there were still remnants of a human mind in his body.
Cahara and Madeleine acted next, both sending a flaming torrent towards the monster. For a second, it seemed as if the sun had risen, but in reality, it was the giant rat burning.
Now, to finish, I summoned the Cats of Ulthar, used a nearby pool of blood to create a Greater Blood Golem, and called the Armored Skeleton and the rats. The child beside me created his own Blood Golem, and Cahara changed his combat stance to what I believed to be Quick Attack, increasing his speed.
Then, that wall of bodies advanced, refusing to give Isayah any chance to recover. Victory was assured, or at least that's what I thought until I had another vision.
I offered no explanation to Madeleine or the she-wolf, I simply used my new spell, spamming Phase Step until I reached Cahara and the skeleton, placing a hand on each of their shoulders before teleporting away, stopping beside the child before bringing her with me, ending up atop the library walls.
I fell to my knees, feeling as if I were going to vomit, almost regretting having taken us away from danger. Struggling to my feet, I walked with trembling legs, leaning on the battlements and observing the courtyard below, now consumed by a purple mist, the plague.
The others stopped beside me, watching in horror as everything decayed around us, the plants covering the walls withered, falling from the building like snow.
"Well, I'm glad I don't have a nose! I'd rather not imagine how bad that thing's breath is!"
I didn't bother answering the book, I just watched, searching for the giant rat. Suddenly, a pillar of miasma rose and something large landed further on the walls, falling with a thud.
And there it was, the burned and wounded monster opened its mouth and purple mist began to ooze from its throat.
"COUGH! COUGH!"
BOOM!
Only to gasp when a Black Orb flew towards it, lodging itself between the rows of metallic teeth and then exploding, all thanks to Madeleine. I glanced at the child, seeing her determined face; she returned the look and I nodded in approval, making her smile.
Unfortunately, our brief moment had to end. The ground trembled, and the rat left the cloud of smoke, charging like an uncontrolled animal, its gleaming horn aimed in our direction as blood gushed from its mouth in rivers, painting the stone in its path.
I was ready to teleport us away, but to my surprise and horror, Cahara lunged at Isayah, and just as he was about to be crushed, the mercenary leaped over the monster, landing on its back and plunging his sword into its flesh.
The giant rat screamed, writhing and losing its balance as it charged, made worse by the lack of its blade. Cahara didn't even need to scream for us to get out of the way. I grabbed Madeleine, Moonless, and the skeleton, teleporting us to the opposite side of the wall in time to see the mercenary leaping off the monster's back before it crashed into the entrance to the second floor of the laboratories. Fortunately, the one where the Blood Portal wasn't.
The sound of the impact was like thunder; the being was so large and strong that it destroyed the door frame and a good part of the surrounding walls. And with that, the ancient structure, worn down by countless millennia, crumbled beneath its body.
When the dust settled, we waited, but as time passed, nothing rose from the pile of rubble. Confirmation of our victory came when blood seeped between the stones, confirming the death of our enemy.
"May the Great Horned Rat torture your soul for all eternity in the Evergnaw."
"Kitab, I swearrr to the Godsss!"
I didn't finish; I let out a long sigh and sat on the ground, watching the toxic fog in the courtyard dissipate. However, my eyes drifted upwards, to the library roof, spotting something contrasting against the moon: a person with long hair flowing in the wind.
At the moment, there was only one person in this city who fit that description and wasn't part of my group: Le'garde. I half-closed my eyes, standing up and preparing to cast a spell, summon more rats, anything, but the moment I blinked, he was gone.
"Ssshit..."
"It was him, wasn't it?"
Cahara asked, and I nodded before looking to the side, seeing Madeleine shift uncomfortably.
"So Le'garde was watching us the whole time. What a coward, he knows we'll tear him to pieces when we find him."
I admit that, despite all the lame jokes in the book, he made me laugh this time and... Was that smoke coming out of the windows?
-A few minutes earlier, inside the Great Library
"I-if my words mean anything to you, I'm sorry." I stammered, failing to hide the nervousness in my voice.
I had thought for a long time about how I should address this matter after witnessing the red-haired man's memories in the dream world. The death of his people caused by the band I was once a part of was unforgivable, and now I wonder if he hates me.
The argument we had in the past about Le'garde's fate and the fact that I fled with him during the collapse are more than enough reasons for Ragnvaldr to want to kill me, however, the outlander only stared at me with a face as cold as stone.
There was only silence, and I couldn't look at him for long, choosing to focus on my helmet resting beside me on the table, seeing my wounded and tired reflection in the metal, internally reprimanding myself for bringing painful memories back.
Le'garde, have you always been like this? Or did something terrible happen in your life for everything to end this way? One way or another, I'll have to stop you, even if, deep down, a small part of me suffers because of it.
I was pulled from my reverie by a sigh, turning my attention to the redhead, whose expression had softened, looking at the ground for a moment before speaking in a tired and dejected tone.
"I don't know how deep your relationship with that man was, but I'm aware that he deceived us all. I can't say I forgive you, but there's no reason to act against you. We should focus on what comes next, and whether we will ever become friends, only time will tell."
I didn't answer immediately, I just stared into his eyes full of anger and sadness and nodded. I believe I won't get anything better than that at the moment. Then the uncomfortable silence returned, making me wonder if I should read some of the countless books that surrounded us.
It had reached the point where spell and skill scrolls weren't very useful, with only a few rare and extremely specific ones left to find. I discovered this after spending some coins and acquiring what I had already found, then consulting Micolash, who explained the situation to me.
Books were also out of the question; all the useful ones, whether history books or crafting guides, had already been acquired, so I guess…
"Hehehe!"
I jumped in my seat, feeling a pang of surprise upon hearing a sudden laugh.
"Hehehe!"
It wasn't long before it returned, a female voice, and as the only woman present at the moment, it hadn't been me, and the others noticed this. Ragnvaldr, like me, looked around, searching for the source of the noise. Enki and Nas'hrah stopped reading and exchanged a glance before doing the same.
"Hehehe!"
Again, the sound seemed to be coming from above. I raised my head, staring into the darkness of the upper levels of the Great Library, failing to find anything more unusual than it already was.
I put on my helmet and grabbed the spear that rested on my seat. Ragnvaldr put on his metal hat and stood up, resting his gigantic maul on his shoulder. We continued searching, but there was nothing, until I spotted a pair of white eyes and a smile full of sharp teeth standing out amidst the shadows above.
I wasn't a sorceress, even though I had learned so much about magic, I was far from mastery, but the moment a Black Orb plunged towards us, I felt my eyes widen for a moment before I extended my arm wielding my shield and conjured an orb in response.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion accompanied by a dark cloud appeared at the point of impact, hiding the one who attacked us. I clenched my teeth as the noise echoed inside my helmet, making my ears ring.
When my hearing began to return, I caught a muffled buzzing approaching; a swarm of locusts broke through the smoke, swooping down towards us.
Ragnvaldr and I ran in opposite directions, watching as the pulsating mass of insects engulfed the spot where we had previously stood. I was about to act, but the man moved faster, extending his arm and conjuring Pyromancy Trick, turning the locusts to ashes with a jet of scalding flames.
"Hehehehe!"
The ground near us transformed into a distorted whirlpool, and finally our adversary revealed itself, yet another monster from this cursed place. The being was tall, thin, and pale, its parched skin covering its arms and a bat-like face, with pointed ears, empty eyes, and protruding fangs.
Its clothes, if they could be called that, considering they seemed to merge with its body, consisted of dark robes and a skirt made of long tentacles that moved independently of each other.
As a weapon, the creature wielded a twisted dagger in its right hand, with bony fingers and dark nails, while its remaining hand remained pointed at us.
"MAGGOT!"
Nas'hrah was the first to act, impulsive and shouting insults, as always, but his Black Orb passed through the monster as if it didn't exist, causing the creature's body to dissipate, an illusion.
I looked around, combat stance assumed and weapon ready for a thrust, feeling my heart sink and my mouth open as several of these monsters emerged from the walls, floor, and ceiling, laughing and pointing at us.
Then they came, diving and circling us like vultures, their clothes creating a sea of shadows around us. I thrust my spear against the first one that appeared in front of me, only for my attack to pass through it and the creature to move forward, colliding with my chest.
I flinched, expecting pain or something terrible, but felt a pang of confusion when nothing happened. It took my mind a moment to grasp that only the true creature was real, the rest just illusions that couldn't harm me.
That didn't change the fact that the real enemy was still there. One of the many flying images sent a torrent of fire toward Nas'hrah and Enki. The black priest stumbled as he ran away, but barely managed to avoid the flames.
The floating head didn't even bother to dodge, displaying its immortal status, laughing like a madman and returning the attack with its own fire, which surpassed that of the monster.
I believe I saw fear on the creature's face, as it flew aside, avoiding being reduced to ashes at the last second. However, its efforts were in vain when a Black Orb surrounded the fire and the creature itself, exploding against its back, courtesy of Enki.
A distorted screech escaped its lips, and dark blood dripped from its wounded flesh. For a moment its flight faltered and it seemed the monster would crash to the ground, but it managed to recover, remaining airborne and creating more of its illusions.
Despite having discovered its trick, hitting it hadn't been easy, as the monster merged with its illusions, pretending to be one until it cast a spell, revealing its location only to be bombarded with magic, forcing it to flee and hide again before repeating the process.
Soon the Great Library was engulfed in a torrent of spells, fire, worms, insects, crows, locusts, and more. Explosions, clouds of smoke, and the sounds of animals and insects covered the floor and ceiling, with both sides scrambling to dodge while trying to take down their enemy.
I jumped behind a bookshelf, averting my gaze and cringing from the explosion generated by the Black Orb leaving a smoking hole upon hitting the ground. The shockwave and tremor nearly knocked me down, and pieces of paper and parchment floated around me, partially blocking my vision.
Peeking out from my cover, I saw Ragnvaldr taking cover behind a pillar and Enki hiding under a table while Nas'hrah continued exchanging spells with the monster.
As if our problems weren't enough, flames consumed the ancient manuscripts, starting a fire, causing the temperature to rise and the smell of smoke to assault my nostrils.
I was sweating like a pig inside my armor, but I remained focused, ignoring the inferno that was forming and the horror of knowledge being lost, crouching and sneaking through the decaying shelves and decor, skirting the flying creature until I was face to face with its wounded back.
As a hunter, I waited for an opening, about to conjure Black Orb, but I stopped, having a better idea. I extended my hand and focused, trying to use one of the spells engraved in my mind for the first time.
Hurting.
It took longer than I expected, but it was done, an orange ring surrounded the pale arm holding the dagger, closing around it seconds later.
BANG!
"AAAHHH!"
A shrill scream echoed through the library and the severed limb fell to the floor with a thud, marching across the dark blood-stained tiles. The pain broke the creature's concentration, and with it, its illusions dissipated.
BOOM!
A second explosion thanks to a Black Orb aimed at its chest, conjured by Nas'hrah, however, this was not enough to bring it down. Enki acted immediately, leaving his hiding place and conjuring Locust Swarm faster than our enemy could react.
His frantic cries filled the air as the monster swung its remaining arm, flying away, but unable to escape the swarm. The dark mass they had both become flew aimlessly, until Ragnvaldr advanced.
I watched as he climbed a collapsed pillar, supported by a pile of rubble, forming a ramp to its top, where the man waited, his flail ready for a swing, and when he came, the damage was devastating.
Letting out a war cry like that of a beast, the man unleashed an attack with his colossal weapon, striking the flank of the flying monster. The crack was sickening; I could hear the flesh tearing and bones breaking despite the distance.
The creature flew like an arrow and struck the ground like a stone, creating a heavy thud and raising a cloud of dust that concealed it. If it tried to escape, it never had the opportunity, for Enki and the floating head combined their efforts, creating a wall of fire that the monster struggled to stop with its own.
A duel of magic began, a torrent of fire that made the shadows dance around us. It felt like I would be roasted alive inside my armor, but I didn't give up.
My head ached from using so many spells; I could see dark figures in the corner of my vision and hear voices whispering in the back of my mind, so I took a step back, raising my spear above my shoulder and starting my run, throwing my weapon with all my might.
Like the firing of a ballista, it surged forward, striking the monster's remaining arm, tearing it off and following its trajectory, sinking into the wall on the other side of the library, leaving a web of cracks.
With its remaining limb severed, the monster had no chance to react, and the fire quickly consumed it. It was so fast that I couldn't discern its expression, and the crackling of the flames made it difficult to identify if it was its screams I heard, but when the spell ceased, there was only a charred corpse sprawled on the ground.
I approached cautiously, kicking its corpse to see if it was truly dead. There was no reaction; my actions only caused something shiny to slide out from its robes—a Soul Stone, which, due to its proximity, absorbed the soul of its former owner.
I held the gleaming artifact in front of my face, wondering what its power was. Despite everything, I celebrated having obtained something so valuable.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERRRE?!"
I turned immediately, ready to fight, but stopped when I saw the remaining members of our group standing near the entrance to the library courtyard. They looked exhausted, covered in dirt and blood, but unharmed so far.
"I LEFT FOR A FEW MINUTESSS AND YOU SET THE LIBRARY ON FIRRRE?! HELP ME PUT IT OUT! SSSO MUCH KNOWLEDGE LOSSST! I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ALEXANDRRRIA!"
I didn't understand the last part, but that didn't change the fact that one of the most valuable places was turning to ashes because of us. Micolash ran past me, conjuring ice spells to extinguish the flames.
For a moment, I watched in stunned silence as his face was taken over by horror, a reaction shared by everyone else. Enki and Nas'hrah were the first to act, which doesn't surprise me, considering their thirst for knowledge, but it was only moments later that I felt ashamed and rushed to help as best I could.
END OF CHAPTER