A/N: Seriously, what is it with me and publishing another fanfic... Well, whatever. I started this as an experiment. I don't have any idea where this is going. But maybe you will like it...

Obligatory disclaimer: Don't own Grimrock. Only the plotline and Septim. As well as teh Book of Life idea (At least used in this way). At least I don't think anyone ever used it in this way.

Okay. Here's the story!

PART 1

Septim used to be just a lowly mage apprentice. Until... That fatefull day when he found the book. It told of a legend long forgottern. About a man of legendary strength that was condemed to Mount Grimrock. What was his crime? Noone knows. Maybe he killed the king, maybe he didn't do anything and was just feared for his power. Nontheless, the book detailed his life before Grimrock and was written during the time he spent waiting in a cell.

Not only did the book tell Septim about a lot of obscure spells and tricks, it also told many theoreis of Grimrock itself. About it being sentient and of the horrors that supposedly live there to guard it.

And then it came. The chapter about the Undying one. A monstrous thing that could destroy the whole world. And this got Septim to think.

"Why would the king send people there if it could mean the Undying one's release...?" Howeever, the answer was eluding him.

So the only thing he could do was read further until he cmae to the last entry.

I'm runnign out of time. Today they will come and take me there. I am not sure if I am going to survive. However, I will take this chance and try to uncover the secrets of this prison...

There was nothing more then this on the page. Septim turned to the next one and was surprised to find another entry. This one hurried and almost illegible.

He squinted and read:

To you, who are reading this. If you are willing to help me, find the Book of Life in the forbidden library and make sure to remember page 57. It is the only way to...

Septim turned again, but there was the back cover and the only thign there was a year. It was dated almost three hundred years back. He turned back and looked at the incomplete sentence again.

"The only way to what...?" he muttered.

"Oh well... Only one way to find out," he told himself and went to grab his shoes. With one last glance to the book, he opened the door to his room and went to the main library, where the entrance to the forbidden one was.

Sneaking through the corridors was easy. It was three in the morning and noone was up. His skills in detection were high enough to be able to elude all the monitoring spells placed to alert teachers of wandering apprentices.

Entering the library was easy too. However, now was the time when the main test starts – entering the forbidden library. It won't be easy and Septim knew that. Still, he was too curious for his own good sometimes. And sometimes it worked for him just fine. He just hoped this was one of the times.

He was now standing in front of the door leading there. Wary of enchantments he knew would be there, he didn't dare touch the door just yet. Mumbling a few words and weawing a spell he learned from Toorum's book, the doorway glowed and Septim was surprised that there was only one spell. One, that was very easy to dismantle at that.

Suspicious suspicious!

The lad was in a hurry though, therefore, forgoing any and all caution, he recited another spell thus dispelling the one on the door. Septim opened it and at the same time he heard the door to the main library creak.

Typycal that they would find me now!

Hurriedly Septim sliped in the forbidden library and closed the door behind himself. He put his ear on the door in order to listen if the intruder would go in his direction, but heard nothing. Still, deciding that he should be as quiet as possible, he slowly turned around and was faced with long hallway lit by magical torches.

Now to find that book... he mused and made his way through and into the main part of the forbidden library.

"Holly shit!" he whispered when he walked into the main hall. There were rows and rows of books in so many bookcases that the end was nowhere to be seen.

"How the hell am I supposed to find one specific book in this?" groused Septim, but he was determined to be succesfull. He wanted the book. He wanted to help Toorum, even if he was already dead. He wanted to follow the man he looked upon as a sort of mentor.

Wandering around, his legs brought him to a stand that held a huge lether-bound book. Septim blinked, but followed his instincts and opened it. And there, was the registry. Every book in the library was listed there with its placement noted right next to it. And it was alphabetical!

Quickly, Septim flicked to the B section and found the book of life. It was in the row 97 somwhere. Well, at least it narrowed it down. Closing the enormous book, he went in search of the correct row of shelves.

After some wandering, he found the correct place and started scanning the books, till finally he found the correct one. It was in the corner of the bottom shelf. Mostly hidden. Septim took it and was surprised at how small it was. And then he heard it! Footsteps and they were close!

"Shit!" he whispered and quickly found the correct page. Scanning it, there was only one thing there. A spell.

Not really thinking, he tore the page out and hid it in his hairtie. Then he stuffed the book back and grabbed a random one from the shelf opposite of the one the Book of Life was on. And just in time! Because at that precise moment the archmage and his guards appeared and when they spotted him, they, of course, arrested him on site.