The Magic Book
I stared at the small Bosmer girl in front of me. More precisely, at what she held in her hands.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked, incredulous.
"Nope." She said in a very insolent voice, with a smile on her lips.
The book she held in her hands was quite large, and completely rectangle. On the cover there was a Daedric symbol, as well as the words 'The Elder Scrolls IV, Oblivion. Official Game Guide for PC and Xbox 360.'
I couldn't make head nor tail of the last part, but the first seemed to say that inside was an Elder Scroll, but that was impossible.
"So what you're telling me," I began, "Is that this book will tell me exactly what will happen when I do anything." Summing up the unusual conversation we had a few moments ago.
"That's what I said." She laughed, still wearing that idiotic grin.
This girl is obviously crazy. I thought. Why else would she come up to me in the middle of the Colovian Highlands and tell me about her 'magic book'. Well, I might as well play along.
"Ok girlie, so tell me, what am I doing right now?"
"Are you on a quest?"
"Yes."
"For what organisation?"
"Huh?"
"Fighters guild, Mages guild, you know."
"Oh, for the Mages Guild."
"Okay..." She said, flipping open her book. "Have you entered the Arcane University?"
"Not yet."
"Ok. So, based on where you are and what you've told me, you are currently on the way to Cloud Top to retrieve a book for Earana."
My mouth popped open.
"How did you know that?" I gasped
"Easy, I looked in my book."
She must have overheard me talking to Earana, the book couldn't actually work. Or could it?
"Could I see your book?" I asked.
"Sure!" She said brightly, handing me the book.
I flipped through the pages; there was lots of writing, diagrams and colourful pictures. I kept flipping until I found a section called maps. I found the map labelled, Colovian Highlands. I took out my own map and found our position on the map in the book.
"What this tells me, is that just behind that rock is a cave called Nonwyll Cavern that is infested with trolls." I could barely keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
"There is."
"Ok, let's go look then."
I marched towards the rock and sure enough, when I came to the other side, there was a frail wooden door embedded into the stone. I frowned and pushed open the door, immediately a huge, green troll leapt out and lunged at my throat. There was no time to draw my sword, but then the troll fell down dead. An arrow protruded from its chest. I spun around in time to see the little wood elf girl lowering her bow.
"Toldja so." She giggled.
"Coincidence." I snarled.
There was no way that this book could possibly be genuine.
I lifted the book and showed it to the girl.
"Are you being serious, I mean is this actually real."
"It is." She said, and her voice was 100% sincere.
I was still unconvinced though, so I opened the book once again and looked through a bit more carefully. I stopped at the section marked 'Mages Guild'. I started reading, and didn't stop until I had finished the whole chapter. When I finished my eyes were full of tears.
I pushed the book towards the girl
"Take it back." I hissed.
"No, it is yours." She whispered, and then disappeared.
I thought about leaving it there, but instead shoved it into my back and ran back to my house in Chorrol. I took out the book and threw it into a chest that I never used.
I would never, ever touch it again, I swore to myself.
-:-
2 Years Later
I reached into the old chest, my fingers encountered something large and I pulled it out. I swept off the layer of dust and beheld the old book. Everything that I had read had come true, and now I was Arch-mage of the Mages Guild. It was dangerous, but I could not resist the temptation to look at it again. I took the book to my favourite chair and opened to the first page.
-:-
15 Years Later
I sat in my largest house, surrounded by all of my possessions. All of my houses were lavishly decorated and my purse was bulging with gold. I had everything I would ever want but I was not happy. There was no sense of accomplishment. I had done everything that anyone ever asked me, but it was all with the aid of the magic book. Now there was nothing left to do. Nothing at all.