Chapter 2; The Library
There was a loud knocking on the door, which made Jon uneasy. He was the Lorekeeper responsible for the Library of the Lord of Knowledge, where some of the most important books and tomes of the realms were kept. You could practically smell the culture in the air.
Normally, the door of the Library would be open to the seekers of knowledge, but his superiors had ordered that the security of the books should be increased. He had not asked the reason for this sudden change of policy, since he knew better than to question his superiors. Anyway, it was kind of late for a visit to the Library. Sure they sometimes had guests that appreciated the quietness of the night to read, but they always warned Jon of the time that they would arrive.
Jon was the night clerk of the Library. It wasn't really his choice. Since he suffered from insomnia, he was the best candidate for the night shift. He had two other fellow clerks that were responsible for the Library during the day. They were probably sleeping by now, if not meditating and praying to Oghma.
Jon stepped close to the door and asked: "Who is there?"
There was no answer, only a louder knock. Something was wrong, Jon could feel it. He picked up his mace and then took a deep breath. Oghma be praised, he thought, as he opened the door.
There was a young man standing outside. He was about twenty years old. The man was much taller than Jon, which made the stranger look even more intimidating for the clerk. The man had long silver hair, bright emerald-green cat-like eyes and he was wearing a long black coat.
Jon's jaw dropped. That man didn't seem like the sort that would come to the Library at such unkind hours to increase his knowledge and culture. He looked more as the sort that preferred to use his sword instead of words.
"Yes? What is it?" – asked Jon.
The man's cat-like eyes seemed to examine the clerk, as if he was looking for something. Perhaps he was evaluating him as a possible adversary in a fight? Jon's sensed a slight trembling in his legs. He was afraid of the stranger? And who in their right mind wouldn't?
The clerk also noticed that the man was armed. He had some sort of exotic weapon stashed in his belt. A katana, perhaps?
The man showed Jon an amusing smile. It wasn't a sympathetic smile, since it seemed to the clerk that it was quite intimidating. It was as if a large feline was watching his next prey.
"Greetings, clerk." – said the man.
Jon greeted the man with a gentle nod.
"Do you expect trouble?" – asked the man, while pointing towards the clerk's mace.
The clerk looked embarrassed and then put down his mace.
"I apologize for my rudeness, sir. It would seem that the darkness of the night made a bit paranoid." – said Jon.
The man laughed and said: "I also apologise for coming so late. I would have never troubled you unless it was urgent."
Jon looked intrigued.
"Urgent?" – asked Jon.
"Yes. I require information from one of your books."
"I understand that. But why urgent?"
"Let's just say that I can't wait to acquire knowledge, shall we?"
The clerk couldn't help but feel a bit doubtful of the man's real intentions. And there were the new orders from his superiors that demanded a more careful selection of the ones that could enter the Library, especially at night.
"I am afraid that I can't let you in, sir." – said Jon.
"Oh? Why is that, then?" – demanded the man.
The clerk's mouth was suddenly dry. He was irritating the strange man, which seemed like an unwise course of action. Still he had his orders to follow. This was the Library of Oghma, his deity, and as such it was his duty to protect his deity's house of knowledge.
"Quite frankly, sir, my superiors have ordered me not to let strangers inside the Library at such late hours. So unless you have a document signed by one of my superiors, I can't let you in." – said the clerk.
The man nodded and then gave him a paper that was inside his pocket. Jon couldn't help but notice that the man was left-handed. He had figured this out because of the way the katana was stashed.
"What's this?" – asked Jon.
"A document signed by one of your superiors." – said the man.
Jon read the document and looked shocked. It was indeed signed by one of his superiors. It was legit, that much was visible. Still something wasn't right. According to a group of fellow Cleric that had passed by the Library this morning, Lorekeeper Adam Hourblade had been murdered the week before. It seemed to Jon like too much of a coincidence to see his dead superior's signature to the document. But what if it wasn't? According to his superiors he had to let anyone with the signed documents enter the Library.
"Sephiroth, is it?" – asked Jon.
The man showed the clerk a grin.
"Yes." – said Sephiroth.
"Please to meet you. It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that Lorekeeper Adam was murdered." – said Jon.
He wanted to study the man's reaction to this news, but Sephiroth didn't even blink. The coldness of his stare could have frozen a river.
"That is unfortunate. Does that mean I can't come in?" – asked Sephiroth.
"No, no… Everything is in order, sir. You can enter the Library." – said Jon.
The man entered the Library and then Jon closed the door. The clerk couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with his decision to follow his superiors' orders.
"So what book are you looking for, sir?" – asked Jon.
"A book about a certain gate…"
The clerk looked confused.
"You have to be more precise, sir."
Sephiroth laughed. His laughter seemed to echo forever in the thick walls of the Library.
"The gate where your deity trapped Chaos, clerk."
Jon tried not to show his surprise at the sudden revelation, but failed miserably.
"That book? Yes, we do have it in here. It is a really old text. Wait a moment, sir, I will get it for you."
The clerk started walking towards one of the hundreds of shelves that were on the room and picked up a book. It was indeed a very old book. It was full of dust, which Jon tried to clean off using his hand.
"The Chaos Gate. I remember hearing my superiors mentioning the story." – said Jon.
Sephiroth seemed uninterested in the clerk's memories and asked for the book. Jon nodded and gave it to the man. Urgent, indeed.
"If my memory serves, it is a very interesting tale about our god, Oghma." – continued Jon, trying to ignore the rudeness of the man.
Sephiroth seemed to study the book with a mixture of eagerness and worry. Then he seemed to find the page that he was looking for. It would seem that he had found the knowledge that he was seeking.
"Not long after Shar and Selune created Toril and gave birth to Chauntea, the world's animating spirit, a traveller ventured to the world from a distant realm. He came upon a chaotic landscape of indistinct, shapeless concepts yearning to be given solidity. To each of these concepts he gave a name that would define it in the eons to come. Such was the power of these names that the concepts transcended their elusive existence, bound to physical form in the material world. Thus, did Oghma, the Binder of What is Known, give order to chaos and claim an honoured place among Toril's oldest deities. He trapped the powerful chaotic energies inside a gate of some sorts, which was created by a dwarven deity. The chaotic energies are said to be still trapped inside that gate… waiting… for the day that they will be released from their prison." – said Sephiroth. while he closed the book.
Jon's jaw dropped.
"Oh! You know the tale?" – asked the surprised clerk.
"Yes."
"Then… why was it urgent to read the book, sir?"
Sephiroth glared at the clerk.
"The map, clerk. I needed to see the map to the gate." – said Sephiroth.
"Map? There is no map, sir. I assure you…" – said Jon, feeling a bit uneasy with the subject.
"Oh, it is here, without a doubt. But you have to know where to look." – mocked the man.
"But… why would you want the map to such an awful place, sir?"
The question seemed to make Sephiroth hesitate.
"Well… isn't it obvious?" – asked Sephiroth.
Those cat-like eyes didn't even try to hide the man's true thoughts. He was completely mad, Jon thought.
"Yes… it is." – said Jon.
Sephiroth laughed at the man's worried face, and then said: "I am going now."
Jon mouth was suddenly dry. He couldn't help but be afraid of such dark figure, but he was still a servant of Oghma. He had to carry on with his holy duty, no matter what.
"What? I am sorry, sir, you can't leave with the book." – said Jon.
Sephiroth stopped and looked at the clerk.
"Really?" – asked the man.
The clerk started trembling, but he didn't hesitate in picking up his mace.
"That book is one of a kind, sir." – said Jon.
Sephiroth looked at the clerk with an amused expression.
"Like I said, clerk, I need the book's knowledge."
"Then read it inside the Library's walls. You can't take it with you."
"Oh, I can…" – said Sephiroth.
Sephiroth picked up his katana and cut the clerk in half. Blood splashed into the walls.
"And I will."
There were some noises coming from upstairs. Sephiroth sighed. The other clerks must have awakened.
"What is going on down there, Jon?"
Two clerks descended the stairs that lead to near the entrance. One of them was carrying a longsword, while the other was holding a crossbow.
"Jon?" – asked on of them.
"By Oghma!" – yelled the other clerk.
The two clerks couldn't believe their own eyes. A murder inside their deity's house of knowledge. Evil had tainted the Library with its corrupted claws.
And there, in front of them, stood the murderer. He was holding a bloodied sword and showing them a mocking grin.
"I am sorry… Jon can't talk with you right now. Perhaps you should try talking to his ghost?" – said Sephiroth.
The clerk that was holding the crossbow pointed his weapon towards the murderer.
"You fiend!" – cried the clerk.
Sephiroth´s glare was as cold as death itself.
"Fiend? Is that supposed to offend me, priest?" – asked Sephiroth.
"You will pay for your barbaric actions!"
"Believe me, priest… I would love to play with you. But I have other business to attend to."
The murderer sheathed his bloodied sword and started walking towards the door.
"You shall not leave!" – yelled the clerk that wielded the longsword.
Sephiroth turned to face the two clerks and said: "Really? And who will stop me? You? Oghma?"
"What?" – asked one of the clerks, feeling offended by such disrespect towards his god.
The murderer sighed.
"Fun is fun, priest. But now it's time for you to die… Grievous?" – said Sephiroth.
The two clerks seemed to hesitate for a moment, seeming lost with whom the murderer was talking to. Then the doors to the Library were bashed open and a powerful figure stepped inside the building.
The creature looked mechanical, but moved with great agility and ease. The creature's face looked like a human skull.
"Yes, Sephiroth?" – asked the intimidating creature.
"These two gentlemen are boring me. Take care of them." – said Sephiroth.
The creature's reptilian eyes blinked. He looked at the two clerks and nodded. Grievous picked up two scimitars from his belt and started moving towards the two trembling men.
"What kind of aberration is this?" – asked the clerk with the crossbow.
The other clerk shook his head in confusion, as if he was wondering that himself.
"Some sort of golem?" – said the clerk.
The other clerk nodded and pointed his crossbow towards Grievous. He had heard about such abominations. A flesh golem: part mechanical, part flesh. They were usually either created by spellcasters or by gifted crafters.
"Be gone, you foul creature!"
"We don't fear you!" – said the other clerk, while pointing his longsword towards the creature.
The clerk with the crossbow fired the bolt, but Grievous was able to dodge the attack. Both clerks looked petrified with fear.
"Fear me?" – said Grievous.
The clerk started to reload the crossbow, while his companion slashed the air, trying to intimidate the cruel golem. Grievous laughed at the pitiful attempt of the human to gain his friend some time. Fool!
"Fear is not a requisite for me to kill you, human." – said Grievous.
Grievous attacked the clerk with the longsword and pierced the man's chest with his scimitars. The clerk screamed in pain and then died. Grievous looked bored. He had expected more challenge from a Cleric of Oghma.
"Fear only makes things more… interesting." – said the creature, while he took his scimitars from the dead man's chest.
The clerk looked at his dead companion and muttered a few prayers. The he fired his crossbow and this time the bolt hit its target. He had struck the foul creature right in shoulder. Grievous looked at the bolt and then at the clerk. The mechanical creature laughed and then guarded his weapons. With an incredible agility Grievous attacked the clerk and grabbed the man's neck.
"Ah! But what is this? Isn't that a little bit of fear I see reflected in your eyes?" – mocked Grievous.
The clerk kicked and punched the creature's face and arm, but to no avail. If Grievous was feeling any pain, then he failed to show it.
"It is isn't it?" – asked Grievous.
The man looked at the creature's yellow reptilian eyes… they were a void of emotions. He had only seemed such emptiness in the eyes of the dead. Grievous tightened his grip. He was waiting for an answer, or so it would seem. The clerk closed his eyes and begged his god for forgiveness.
"I… am… afraid…" – mumbled the clerk.
Grievous nodded triumphant.
"Now… that wasn't so difficult, was it?" – asked Grievous.
He broke the clerk's neck and then tossed the body against the shelves. Several books feel on the floor and on top of the dead clerk.
"Pathetic creature." – mumbled the mechanical creature.
Grievous looked at Sephiroth, who seemed very amused with the creature's bloodshed. He even started applauding.
"I have the book, Grievous. We should leave." – said Sephiroth.
Grievous nodded and said: "Yes, Sephiroth."
Both villains started walking towards the exit, but then Sephiroth stopped. Grievous looked at his companion with a confused look.
"My, my, Grievous. Have you any idea where you are?" – asked Sephiroth.
The mechanical creature sighed.
"A damn library." – said Grievous.
"Not just a library, Grievous. This is one of the most important libraries in all the realms. There are thousands of books in here."
"So?"
"You were always a bit of an illiterate fool, Grievous."
Grievous shrugged. He just didn't care about books. He only cared about the art of wielding a sword, the legacy of warriors.
"People would die to protect such lore." – said Sephiroth.
Grievous laughed and then pointed towards the dead clerks. Sephiroth nodded and joined the laughter.
"Ah! My mistake… people have died." – corrected the man.
Sephiroth grabbed a torch that was illuminating the Library and then pointed the flaming torch towards the shelves full of books.
"It is good that I am not an illiterate fool as you, Grievous. Or I would be tented to do something that can only be described as unthinkable."
Grievous shrugged. He was failing to see Sephiroth´s point in all of this tiresome discussion.
"But like I said… I am not an illiterate fool." – said Sephiroth while looking at the flame of the torch.
Sephiroth threw the torch against the shelves and a fire immediately started. The fire was devouring the lore of centuries, as well as burning the holy house of a god.
Grievous glared at the vicious flames and muttered a curse. Few people would dare to mock a god as powerful as Oghma… and all of them would be certainly mad.
"No, Sephiroth… you are just a fool." – said Grievous.
Sephiroth laughed and then exited the Library. These were but small sins compared to what he planned to do next.