Chapter 68: Library (1/2)

“What do you mean you’re cutting the pay?” Jasper was looking at Bjorn with disbelief on his face “We mapped nearly the whole dungeon...a Taleen dungeon. I’m sure you understand how difficult such a thing is.”

Bjorn walked up to the massive window behind his desk and looked out the window. The snow was slowly falling while occasionally flashes of magic could be seen in the distance and above, hitting the city’s defenses.

‘What a cunt.’ Lorcan thought as he watched the conversation from the side, leaning on one of the cabinets in the room. He locked eyes with one of the guards in the room while touching his bracelet. The man was close to his level at 204 while the second guard was even higher, though he was sure there were more guards waiting just outside or even above and below.

Bjorn didn’t seem like a man who would let two high leveled individuals into his office without a hundred percent guarantee of no danger. Though Lorcan was sure that Jasper could kill the man before the guards would even be able to blink.

“Jasper please mind your tone. You’re talking to your better. I am aware of the difficulties and of your findings. That is why you will receive a pay and not a prison sentence. You’re responsible for over half the expedition’s deaths, including Douglas Inström and a renowned member of the Corinth Order.” Bjorn turned around at the last sentence and looked at Jasper.

“With all due respect Mr. Forkspear the circumstance of their demise was completely out of my...” the noble shut him up with a gesture.

“I am tired. Jasper I am tired of hearing excuses all day long. You will take what you get and you will leave, so will the rest of the expedition. Now on to something else, there was a woman with you I hear. A healer with black hair and blue eyes. Do tell me, was she an approved member of your expedition?” Bjorn asked.

“She was not. We traded for information.” Jasper replied.

“Information? And what could be so valuable that you would listen to some lone stray lost in a dungeon?”

“The woman had explored some parts of the dungeon already Mr. Forkspear. She saved a lot of lives and time with the information provided.” Jasper replied.

“Well well, then maybe I should give the money to her and not you...but I digress. The woman you see, was spotted meeting with one of my dear little sisters. A sister whom as of now is missing. You wouldn’t know anything about that would you?” he asked Jasper who just shook his head in response.

“It was the first time I’ve seen the woman. Lilith was her name, she didn’t mention a connection to the Forkspears.”

“Lilith...well that isn’t her real name...or perhaps she lied to the poor girl. Well it is no matter. Did she survive as well? I would like to have a talk with her.” Bjorn asked.

“She did, she came out with us.” Bjorn at that nodded to one of the guards who left the room.

“The woman is still below level 100 I presume?” Bjorn asked.

“What?” Jasper’s eyes opened wide and Lorcan had to stop himself from smiling widely.

‘Below a hundred…’

“I think you’ll find that guard to be a little lacking should she resist...” Jasper said to a confused Bjorn. The man shook his head and sat down on his chair.

“You shouldn’t be joking in times like these Jasper Horim. Now then if that is all do leave. You will receive your pay downstairs.” Jasper just nodded and left the room without a word. “You, adventurer. A serf will write down your report, wait with Jasper.” Lorcan just followed Jasper out the door and walked with the man downstairs.

He was smiling as he started talking “Enough for the school?” Jasper gestured for him to shut up but Lorcan wasn’t quite in the mood anymore for this ridiculous behavior. “You could’ve just murdered them all. They’re not paying enough and you know it old friend.”

“That would not help my goals.” Jasper answered.

“Yea he had level 200 guards…bloody guards. What the hell are they offering?” he asked but knew the rumors quite well that circulated around nearly all the noble houses in Dawntree. They were the law after all.

“Don’t you want to save your new friend?” Jasper said as he stopped in the entrance hall. The chandelier above was quite eye catching to Lorcan.

“Hahaha...they’ll find her to be...rather uncooperative. I’m not even sure you could take her Jasper.” the other man just shrugged.

“You have a report to give.” he said as a man walked up to Jasper with a chest in his hands.

“I do, I do.”

“You want your money now?” Jasper asked as he received the chest.

“No. Give it to the others.” with that he walked towards the woman who gestured for him to follow. “See you old man.” a grunt was his response as Lorcan thought about what he should twist or exclude from his report without too much trouble.

The guard of course would find it quite difficult to find the described healer. Not having anybody check directly at the gate that led inside the mountain proved to be a mistake, one Bjorn Forkspear cared little about. It was a hassle to be sure that Alice had vanished though to him it didn’t quite matter if she did that in whatever city south of Karth or in the Forkspear dungeons. As long as she didn’t stir up trouble and rumors. The girl was too smart for that, or at least her butler was.

Jasper went to distribute the money and to inform the survivors about the bad news. Some were annoyed but most of them took it with a shrug, the pay wasn’t cut by much after all and there was an ongoing elven attack to worry about. Considering the Forkspears as future employers or enemies was something to think about at a later time.

“Have you seen the girl, Lilith?” Jasper asked Jeremy who he knew was at least on friendly terms with the woman. Not as much as Agor but close enough and he was quite sure his old friend wouldn’t share a thing with him.

“She went into the city before us, I don’t know where she is now.” Jeremy answered while looking up worriedly. A flash of purple lit up the evening. Jasper nodded.

“Should you see her, the Forkspears are looking for her. Bjorn specifically. I suggest she hide.” he left after that to join the city guard and its defenses. As he did with every attack in the past fifty years.

Ilea touched the bookshelf and found that she could take out the books quite normally. More and more of them joined the ground where she put them carefully. Some that interested her joined her storage which still had quite a substantial amount of free space.

“Natural wonders of the plains….” she flipped through and found some very impressive looking paintings. The absence of the internet and perfectly shot high resolution pictures made her really want to visit some of the depicted places. “...hot springs of Baz Ager, why not...I can fly after all.” she chuckled a little as her wings sprouted and absentmindedly touched her arms.

Ilea sighed and made the book vanish. “What am I doing...” she said out loud and hit her hand through the now empty shelf in the wall. There was no mechanism she noticed and she could see nothing behind the wall with her sphere. Her arm passed the wood easily and she removed a part of it when exiting again.

“Runes hmm?” she asked as she looked at the pieces in her hand. Three kicks brought down the rest of the wall and Ilea found that she could see a pathway now with her sphere. A small pathway and it led into a single room. “With people in there...Hey!!” she shouted inside and blinked right next to them.

A sword clad in purple flame was unsheathed next to Ilea and struck towards her. She simply moved her head slightly to dodge the diagonal swing and caught the arm that held the sword with hers before using her second arm to jab against the person’s arm. Bone broke and the woman screamed as people pushed against the walls to get away from Ilea.

“Calm down guys. I’m human.” she said and let the woman’s arm go. The sword fell down from her limp arm but she caught it with the other one and held it out against Ilea, a purple glow in her eyes.

“How did you find us!? Who are you!” the woman said, changing her stance to favor her non injured side. Ilea looked around to find only below level fifty people to be in the room. Except for the woman before her, she was level 167 and Ilea had seen her before.

“I know you...where have I seen you before...” she relaxed her pose but kept her buffs up just in case the woman would do something stupid. “I came here with the expedition that encountered a Basilisk...maybe there?” Ilea wondered, completely ignoring the woman’s questions.

She did lower her sword a little hearing that but was obviously too stressed out and tired to trust a stranger so easily. “Again who are you?” she asked but in a less hostile tone.

“Why is everybody so fucking hostile here? I’m obviously not your enemy, you’re starving.” Ilea said as food appeared from her storage. The people around the room looked at it hungrily as it fell to the ground but nobody made a move. “Oh my god.” Ilea said and kicked some of the food to the people who finally took it and started eating.