Imago Ch20: Thieves in the Library (Patreon)

<- previousSlipping back into Xylia is even easier than leaving.Thiar kept a watchful eye for their return, stepping aside with a conspiratorial tilt of his head. The festival is still in full swing; the streets remain deserted, and lights blaze from the Great Tree.Nevertheless, Astraea's demeanour changes as they wend their way through the city. She's more furtive, and the feeling is infectious. They haven't done anything wrong yet, but the knowledge of what they're about to do shines through her face like a hot coal.But they have to try.One last chance to make all this worth it.They duck around the side of the vast library and skirt along the outer perimeter wall, picking their way through an ornamental hedge. L keeps her eyes peeled, both for anyone passing by and for whatever secret entrance she’s being led toward. Maybe something like the hidden panel in the wall of Astraea’s flat, or a false wall, or even a portal - She cuts off the thought as Astraea grabs the fence and starts to drag herself up. L winces. For how well she managed the fungal ladder up the tree, she doesn’t seem to know what to do with the barrier. There seems to be quite a bit more kicking than necessary."Hey ‘Straea, hang on, I can–"L hugs Astraea's waist before she knows what she's doing, and takes off in a whirl of wings. The dryad's unexpectedly warm and soft in her arms - and solid too. Easier than Ian, but even so she’s not used to the added weight. She feels a sudden warning dip in her flight path, tilting them straight for the fence’s spiked top.“ - oh, oops, hold on…!“ L veers back, dodges a neighbouring awning, and makes a harried crash landing right back where they started.  After a few busy moments, L pulls free of the flowering shrubbery and sits up, dusting herself off awkwardly."...ah...alright, then. Maybe hopping the fence was the right call." "N-no! I liked your idea!" Astraea says, red-faced and grinning. "Would you…like to try again?"L shifts at the eagerness in Astraea’s voice, and blushes as she realises that, yes, she very much would like to feel the dryad’s body pressed against hers again. "Is there a better way to, ah… hold, you?""Maybe like this?" Astraea asks, looping her arm over L’s neck. Catching her intent, L slips one arm under Astraea’s back and the other under her legs, lifting the girl. She's much lighter like this, the balance better too. Her face closer–"Who’s destroying my topiary?!"Astraea tries to jump up as L twitches away from the outraged shriek. Before they can completely untangle, the goblin doorkeeper’s already stomped his way into view. Radiating outrage. Brandishing his pen like a sword."C-C-Cedric! Good evening!" Astraea says, finally extricating herself. The doorkeeper pauses."Oh, Lady Astraea. Of course it's you. Doing this. Here. Now.""W-we were just–" Astraea starts. L catches the sentence just as she drops it."Gardening.""Yes!”“Helping to garden.”“In the mud.”“Lady Astraea didn't want mud on her shoes."Cedric’s eyes roll farther back than should be possible. He heaves a theatrical sigh, turning and waving a hand. "Come on, I'll sign you in and you can continue gardening in the library you're clearly trying to get into."L's wings close, reluctantly. "...I'm allowed...?""She is allowed." The goblin snorts. "You’re an accessory."Astraea hurries to catch up, shooting L a panicked glance."What do we do?" She mouths. L shrugs helplessly. It's too late to walk away, and they're going where they want to, after all. If they're quick and careful, there's no reason for anyone to know what they've done. So long as they stop being suspicious."Act natural." She mouths back. Astraea nods, plastering on a corpse-like smile and walking forward, entirely forgetting how her knees work. 

Their footsteps echo in the empty building. Books left opened, collections abandoned half-organised. In all the grand library, there isn't a soul besides the nymph and the dryad darkening its doorstep.And one more, of course. Waiting in the memory stacks."W-what's our plan?" Astraea asks, “Do we have a plan?”"We have a plan!" L whispers back, tugging Astraea behind a shelf and casting a wary eye to the entrance. "We're just...putting it together as we go. We’re already in the library. Next we get past Bʲen.”"...she'll see us.”“Yeah. She can sense people, right?" L looks at the stairs. "How does she do that? Do you know?""Bʲen sees the life we have left in us. It burns brighter as we near death, but goes out after we're gone. So arguably, if we were dead, she wouldn’t be able to find us!"“Well there’s our solution!” Both girls break into a fit of nervous laughter. Astraea recovers first. "If only I could make us appear dead. But that would be…"  She lets the thought taper off, chewing on her knuckle anxiously. L peers at her.“Can you do that?" She bites harder at her hand. L leans closer. "Can you?""It... won't feel good..."“YOU CAN?” Astraea gives her a bashful smile, then brushes aside some of her hair. L nods excitedly. "I think we can handle not feeling good. We’re practised at it, aren’t we?"That gets another laugh out of the dryad. L rubs her hands together.  "Okay. So that's one problem down, leaving only…" She tilts her head back to the ceiling. "...where to find the book. It’s like a maze up there. We could search for - ""I might be able to help with that!"Astraea claps her hands over her mouth, stifling a shriek. L's wings flash out. The voice is too familiar to frighten, too sudden not to startle." - Puck - !"He's standing alongside them, peering around L’s shoulder, as if he’d been there all along."W-w-w-we were just trying to..." Astraea snatches an open book from a nearby table, "Find this book."Her smile is even less believable than the one she gave Cedric. Puck stares at her long enough to make the silence uncomfortable, then swivels neatly on his hooves to face L."So what are you two actually doing?" "Finding… a… book." L says carefully, then jabs a talon at him. "What are you doing?""Oh, trying to find you two. I noticed you were missing and thought to myself ‘Puck, what are the chances that they’re up to something?’ And here you are, in the library, looking painfully guilty. Seems like serious mischief to me." His lower lip trembles. "How could you cut me out?""You looked busy - " L starts."So you're obviously looking for a reliquary." Puck cuts her off."No...?" Astraea tries, blinking owlishly at him."Yes." He claps his hands together twice. "Otherwise you wouldn't be talking about everyone's favourite banshee.”Astraea and L exchange a look. L’s shoulders sag. “Okay, yes. We’re after a reliquary.”  She folds her arms and leans forward. “Are you going to be trouble?”Puck tugs at her dress, smiling a little too widely.  "Don’t you know little ol’ Robin?""We could fly him back to the forest." L suggests to Astraea. "Dump him there?""Fine." Puck huffs, turning away to clamber onto a table. "Don't ask for my help. See how far you get.""You? Helpful?" L raises an eyebrow.  “Is that possible?”He turns back quickly, wrinkling his nose with interest. "That depends on whose book you want to find. I wouldn't know where to find an ittle-bittle baby nymph's reliquary like yours, Lyra - “"Not anymore, you wouldn't."Puck's eyes twinkle. "Are you sure?" "But you would know where to find someone else’s?" Astraea interrupts. Puck crosses his arms. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. I haven't been invited yet, so hospitality says I should keep to myself. Seen and not heard, isn't that right, Lyra?""You’re a menace." L says, then turns to Astraea. "But… it’s true. He’s helped before."Astraea takes a step closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with L. The feeling of solidarity is surprisingly pleasant. "Puck... will you help us?"Puck tucks his legs up against his chest.  "Maybe. What's in it for me?"  "Something reckless." L says, wings rustling. "But you have to say yes first.""How reckless."L leans closer. "Deeply stupid."Puck's eyes glitter. L can’t stop herself from smirking. "Think of the most dangerous thing you can." Puck draws in closer. L flaps her wings once. "Worse.""YOU MUST!"  Puck springs on L, grabbing her shoulders and digging in with his hooves like he’s trying to climb her. She staggers backward, catching herself on the table as she tries to regain balance. The satyr’s all knees and elbows and madly eager eyes.  "You must let me help you!”“A - Astraea - “ L wheezes.“Say yes or I’ll take your eyes!"Astraea grips Puck around his sides and gives him a squeeze. He lets out an indignant squeak and goes limp. She gives L a smug smile, setting him back down on the floor."Alright." He cackles, doing a frantic little dance. "So who are we going after? Helios? It's Helios, right? It's gotta be Helios."L rearranges her clothes, taking a moment to straighten her antennae."It's…Father Evander."Puck snaps his mouth shut. His face goes expressionless. His pupils expand until they’ve blotted out the whites of his eyes."Oh…this is deeply stupid!"L nods."Do you know where to find his reliquary, Puck?" Astraea asks, softly. The satyr begins to shake. L holds her breath. Is he…actually afraid? Had they found something that even Puck would baulk at?  A strange, teakettle squeak forces its way out of Puck’s mouth. L starts to reconsider as he hops onto one hoof, then the other. No. He’s not afraid.He’s excited."Reliquaries." Puck hisses frantically. “Not just one! Lots! He has a whole shelf, all to himself. The selfish elf!”L grabs him by the shoulder.  “You've seen it, then! You know where it is!""It was one of my greatest triumphs! Even if Bʲen did chase me all the way there. And back. And into the guards. You did say you had a way to hide from her, didn’t you? Making us dead or something?”"Er... yes." Astraea says, squeamishly.Puck hops in place. "Well, what are you waiting for! Hurry up and kill us before the party’s over!" "Don't listen to him." L smiles, nodding to Astraea. "You'll be fine." "Alright..." Astraea lets out a slow breath and closes her eyes. Branches creak and spiral from her head, and her fingertips slowly take on a frosty blue colour. The hue spreads across her body, and her breath trails out like mist in winter air. A pair of flowers sprout from her smallest branch, the petals curling and flaking away to reveal small dark fruit. Astraea twitches her head, dropping them into her outstretched hands. She quickly hands one to each of them. It’s so cold it burns. L juggles it between her hands, giving her an anxious look. "... y-you'll g-g-get used t-to it." Astraea stammers, her teeth chattering. Puck’s already swallowing his fruit, without even bothering to chew. After a moment, his face starts to turn as blue as Astraea’s. L gives them both a half-smile. "Better not wake up in a glass coffin." She murmurs, then pops it into her mouth. It's like she's just swallowed an ice cube. For a long, long moment, she can feel the cold sliding down her throat, vanishing into her core. It leaves a slow numbness in its wake, spreading through her body, permeating her limbs. They feel stiff at first. Clumsy. She flexes a hand, letting the sensation wear away. Everything feels like it's moving in slow motion. Even her breath is slow. Her heart. Her vision's gone soft and blurry around the edges. Movement takes careful thought, and thought takes effort. L shakes her head, rubbing at her chilled arms. “A-are we r-r-r-ready?” The dryad asks.  Puck shoots her a little salute. L nods.  Astraea forces a little frigid smile, then turns and heads up the stairs.Into the memory stacks.

"W-we're not ready." Astraea whispers, pressed against the wall, grabbing one of Puck’s horns to keep him back. Bʲen’s hovering between a pair of shelves, scarcely beyond the landing. She’s moving books back and forth in some sort of incomprehensible reorganisation."... what do we d-do?""W-we need her to m-move." L whispers back, huddling closer. "I-I...m-maybe if y-you removed the d-death spell and I flew p-past, she'll f-follow me?"That would leave Bʲen chasing her, but at least the other two would have a clear shot."I h-have a better idea." Puck grins, reaching into a tattered bag at his hip. One by one, he draws out a series of small spherical brass contraptions."P-Puck..?" Astraea's eye twitches. "W-why do you have so many fireworks...??""FireWHAT?" L hisses, "Th-this place is f-full of books, what - "Astraea claps a hand over L's mouth as Bʲen’s blind gaze turns in their direction. After a long, painful silence, the banshee turns back to her work."...only magic and light." Astraea whispers. "No actual fire.""Okay." L whispers, nodding. "G-good. Yes. Puck, give me those." He promptly tries to dump the entire pile into her hands, but she manages to get away with only half a dozen. "W-which way do we need to go? I'll f-fly these in the opposite d-direction.""Wait. It's pitch b-black in there." Astraea says, gripping her arm. She concentrates, and another flower buds from her branches. This one swells into a crystal-clear apple, filled with glimmering light. L plucks it gently and holds it close to her chest.  "I'll look f-for you on the way back.""W-we'll move as soon as she does. G-good luck."She leans forward and unselfconsciously kisses L on the cheek. It's cold as ice, but L smiles shyly anyway, her heart skipping an extra beat."S-see you soon."She takes off in a careful ascent, disappearing into the dark. The ceiling, if there is one, is lost in the shadows, and many of the shelves seem to go on forever. L’s lost track of the librarian, but she can still see Astraea's light, wavering and golden. It shouldn't be hard to find her way back. She just has to make this work, first.Once she’s gone a good distance, L swoops down to a narrow corridor of shelves, her shoulders stiff from flying in the cold. Puck's devices rattle in her hands as she sets them on the floor. They all have prominent pins with oversized handles, easy to pull despite her frigid, clumsy fingers. She looks around. Nothing but silence and gloomy shadows.L takes a deep breath and pulls the fireworks together in a bundle. In one swift motion, yanks the pins, leaping back and holding her breath.Five.Ten.Fifteen seconds.   No sound. Barely a heartbeat or a breath. No ticking or shift, no fizzle or snap.   Nothing happens. L blinks. Is this another one of Puck’s tricks?She leans closer…… and her world explodes. L tumbles backwards, smacking her head on a bookshelf. Stars and spirals and shapeless colours flash in every direction, bouncing off  the shelves and each other. Some explode outright, while other fireworks launch into the air in dazzling displays. Three red triangles twist and combine into a bellowing dragon. A brilliant golden circlet spins around L’s head before shattering into a thousand pieces. There’s something tickling at her throat. She coughs, and a swarm of tiny yellow moths flicker away.It takes her a moment to right herself. The obsidian black tiles beneath her help to orient. Overhead are a series of crossways flickering like latticework in the dying glow of the fireworks. A number of armoured suits stand at attention along the walls, and ahead a glass-walled alcove overlooks a great endless nothing. Not Xylia. Not the Wilds.Long unending void.  Someone shrieks in the distance, so painfully loud she has to cover her ears. It stabs through her antennae like jagged splinters, rattling down into her skull.  L scrambles to her feet as the scream echoes into the distance, tears streaming down her cheeks as she blinks back the last afterimages. Her wings blur and she leaps into the air, soaring upward until she's reached the series of catwalks. Grabbing hold, she pulls herself up and into the shadows.Somewhere in the dark, she can hear soft rustling. "R...obin...?" A face slips into the dying light of the fireworks display. Strangely youthful but eyeless, the empty sockets cast around.  Left.  Right.  They tilt up.Land on her. L holds her breath. "R…obin?" Bʲen whispers. She pauses. She listens.L holds perfectly still, waiting.Turning, Bʲen recedes into the dark, disappearing as suddenly as she arrived. As soon as she’s sure she’s gone, L takes off again, flying above the maze. For one panicked moment all she sees is darkness, no sign of Astraea.  She wills herself not to panic, following in the general direction Bʲen had gone, until she spots Astraea’s soft blue glow.  She narrows her wings and swoops, air rushing past her as she pulls back and soundlessly touches down on the tiles."Well. S-she's distracted.” L stammers, legs shaking. Astraea nods, anxiously looking her over. “... are you alright?”Puck’s already scrambling into the dark. L nods and takes Astraea's hand, trying to catch up with him despite her stiff, half-responsive legs. She can’t blame him. After all, there’s no way to know how much time the distraction had bought them, or how long the death spell will last. They travel through the strange library at a stilted, hurried pace, following their horned guide. He leads them up stairs and through shelf-lined corridors, over open-air walkways and down into oubliettes. The fact that the library doesn't seem to conform to any sort of reasonable dimensions doesn't worry L. Really, it's one of the easier things she's had to accept of late. What does worry L is the path Puck’s taking them on. More than once he insists they hopscotch down a passage, or takes three left-hand turns in a row. At one point they even climb up a two story ladder, only to displace some books and crawl through the bookshelf to reach the next floor. Maybe there's some magical reason for it, but L suspects it has less to do with magic and more to do with Puck’s amusement."How long d-does this spell last?" She asks Astraea, picking up the pace as they scurry past another series of glass-fronted cabinets and more hollow suits of armour"I-I'm n-not sure. I h-haven't done this before.""A-ah." L smiles anxiously. "W-well… we p-probably still have plenty of t-time!"Astraea forces a queasy smile in return. L’s pretty sure the dryad found her own attempt just as convincing. Just ahead of her, Puck suddenly stops and eyes a wall suspiciously.  The two girls watch as he reaches up and pulls open a false panel in the wall, revealing a circular room within. L tries to peer around him, wondering if this is actual progress or something that’s just caught the satyr’s eye.  Inside, the floor is split in two - the closer half tiled in white, the farther half in black. A raised pedestal stands at the centre, topped with an oversized suit of armour standing at attention, and beyond him the door to the other side. "Now, children.” Puck says with a wag of his finger. “Make sure not to step on the black stones until I say.""W-what's it do?" L eases to the threshold."It'll put you to sleep for a hundred years." He says. "The white ones are safe, though!""Oh."L ducks back, gesturing for Puck to go past her. He takes one careful step into the room, then pirouettes and leaps, straight onto the black tiles. Astraea gasps, and L’s wings shoot up in alarm. She darts into the room after him, stopping well short of the demarcating line."What are you doing?""Opening the way!” Puck calls back, dancing from tile to tile. He cartwheels, his hooves clicking. Each time his hooves touch down, the tiles blaze with soft golden light. “Now hush, Puck has to do this in the right order, so he needs to concentrate."As Puck works, L’s attention drifts to the armour at the centre of the room. The inner workings are similar to Thiar and the other great constructs, but it’s far smaller, and the dimensions are more lithe and less stocky. With a jolt, she notices further alterations - a cape of fine mail over careful cutouts below the shoulders, and an extra set of smaller armplates.It's not for a spriggan or a troll.It’s armour for a nymph. L lets out a low whistle, staring at her distorted reflection in the chestplate. "C-could I wear this?"“Don’t.”Astraea seizes L’s wrist, pulling her back. "I-it's a trap. I-i-if you t-touch it. I-it'll snare you.""More like it'll wear you!" Puck says, chuckling and stamping down on the last tile. The far half of the room flashes gold, and when the light fades, the tiles have all turned white. "If you must be caught by one, be sure to be caught by one that's close to your shape. Otherwise it can be an uncomfortable experience.” He looks up and winks. “Not that I would know." L winces, stepping away to give the silent figure a healthy distance. Of course it was a trick. She should have known nymphs wouldn’t be allowed armour. "So the floor is safe?""Probably." Puck grins, cheekily. "Yes." Astraea answers confidently, stepping onto the glowing tiles. "Thank you, Puck." He throws a salute, then strolls over to the door, pulling it open with a flourish. "All dryadic tomes ahead! Laaaaadies?"L smirks, waves a talon, and hops through after him. In the light of Astraea’s chill glow, she can see that he’s right. The books in this room are larger - thick, and weathered with age. Some are made of odd materials - covers of gold leaf, or actual preserved leaves, or one that's growing bark.She’s so distracted, she doesn’t notice Puck has stopped until she runs right into him. L gasps; Puck puts a finger to his lips, gesturing to his ear.  ".... listen."L’s antennae twitch behind her, picking up a faint rustling. Then a click. A latch closing. The librarian.Astraea looks nauseous. Puck waves silently for them to follow. Every move, even the near-silent flutter of L's heart, feels audible. She's certain the sound of their footsteps carries through the entire building. Something brushes her wingtip, and she stifles a cry, looking wildly to the side. It's just caught on a shelf. L forces her wings back in place and gives Astraea an embarrassed glance.Astraea is frozen in place, terror stamped across her expression. Slowly, L turns her head to follow her gaze. Bʲen’s standing right in front of them, half-visible in the dark.L goes rigid. Gripping Astraea’s arm, she tries to pull her against the shelves.  But Astraea resists, silently mouthing a warning.  'Don't move.' Footsteps. Bare feet on a tile floor. The banshee’s sliding closer. L wills herself to stone. Wills her heartbeat to slow. Wills her breath to stop. Sweat stings her eyes. Sweat.She's sweating.Bʲen’s form grows clearer, outlined in the soft glow of Astraea’s light. She passes between the three of them, her hood pulled up. The hem of her dress whispers against L’s foot. She stops."H-e...llo?" Bʲen calls.  She turns, her expressionless face sweeping back and forth. "... P... uck...? A-re... you th-ere...?"Puck holds his silence. Bʲen’s voice crackles."I-is any...one th...ere?"The banshee’s words move through L like having a midnight wind, cold air whispering among her bones. Bʲen lingers a moment longer, hesitating, then sighs and trudges down the passage. Puck waits just long enough for her footsteps to fade before frantically waving them in the opposite direction. L hurries after him, wiping anxiously at her brow. She can feel it;  the cold of her skin is fading to simple coolness. They can't have much time left before Bʲen knows exactly where they are. "How did she get ahead of us?" She hisses to Puck. "I thought we were going straight there!""We're going the way I know." Puck snaps irritably."I… appreciate that, but can’t we go faster? We have to get out before the spell ends, or the festi - "Puck comes to a full stop and spins on his hoof, jabbing a finger at L's chin. "If I'm doing such a bad job, maybe I should leave you both in here and you can find your own way out. Hmmm?""Alright!" L holds up her hands, blowing out a breath. "I'm...sorry. Just nervous. You've been a great guide.""Of course I have. I got you what you wanted, didn't I?""W-well, we're not there yet.""Aren't we?""P-Puck, please.  N-no more games."  Astraea chatters.  Puck snickers and beckons them around a shelf. The corridor opens into an expansive room, dominated by a tremendous semicircle bookshelf, tree mosaic at its base and stars twinkling overhead. The shelf itself is split into dozens of segments, each host to hundreds of books. "Like I was saying." Puck chirps. “Goods delivered, upon request.”L almost forgets her fear of discovery, the sudden elation of success buoying her back up. There's a feel to this room. A scent. Age and bracken. It feels right. “Gods, L… this is it!” Astraea whispers. Puck’s ear flickers."Great work, Puck!”  L half-stumbles, half-sprints to the wall of books.  “Which one is Evanders’?""All of them." Astraea says, running up beside L. "Going back to the start of Xylia's history.""All of..." L's eyes widen as she looks across the series of shelves, and she yanks her hand away. Huge leather tomes, covered in dust and packed in tight. Time and memory distilled into ink and paper, age after age. The weight of it, the pressure, almost forces her back a step. "...oh, no." She breathes. "How do we...""We’ll find the most recent one." Astraea answers, tracing her hand over the spine of the different titles. “Right?”L squints, staring at the angular, twisting letters. It looks like words she's been able to read before, but... "What's this written in? I can't understand it.""Dryadic.” “... but I thought you taught Lyra how to read.”“W-well yes, the old tongue. But Dryadic? That would have been treason.” She says, tracing over cover after cover.  “If anyone found out, she would have been executed." “Oh…of course…”"I think I’ve worked it out.  It seems to be going in this direction." Astraea points towards the centre. L follows her gesture. "It’ll be last, right?  Whichever's newest?""Yes.” Astraea skims through titles. “They’re coming from central root. Look, you can see the covers ageing as they fan out. Which means… Lyra’s memory will be..."  She crouches down at the very centre of the curving case, carefully sliding a reliquary out of the bottom shelf. It’s a brilliant red, spidery gold leaf crawling over it like vines."It’s only a century old." Astraea says, whispering.   Then turning, she holds it up excitedly. "W-we… we did it, L! Everything we came back for might be in–""Who's L?" Puck asks. Astraea almost drops the book. "A p-pet name!" L squeaks hurriedly. "Let's take this and - " She reaches for the reliquary, her hand making contact with the cov–Blood rushing beneath skin - sudden pulsing heat, warmer and brighter, liquid fire molten gold BLAZING LIGHT -  The room is gone. Astraea gone. L alone in her silent inferno.Wings beat, but she can't hear them. Monstrous pressure latches around her head, crushing until she feels her skull begin to crack. Her mouth splits and she wails, latching onto golden nothingness as it envelopes her and drags her down down down, filling her ears and lungs and eyes until - She hits the ground.Reliquaries lie scattered around her, the scarlet book clutched in her hands. Astraea holds her, a heavy gash across the dryad’s face and puncture marks along her arm. L’s throat is raw. There’s an awful, copper taste on her tongue. L realises she's just stopped screaming."Lyra..." Astraea gasps. Everything’s so hot. L’s heart hammers in her chest. Astraea’s blood soaks her dress."A-astraea...I-I'm sorry - " She chokes out, reaching up to wipe the ichor from Astraea's face. It’s warm, orange-yellow light pulsing from beneath Astraea’s skin.  "...oh… oh, god, the spell…”“It’s okay!  W-we… we just have to get out of here. Puck...? We need to-"  Astraea blinks. "Where's... where's Puck?"“H-he was right behind me–” L scrabbles to her feet, turning. There’s no sign of the satyr. Only a hooded, eyeless face, close enough to feel her breath, wearing an expression like a rigid mask." - Bʲen  - " L whispers, her voice curdling.Bʲen shrieks. L doubles over in pain, the force of the sound drills through her and shatters her thoughts. Something grabs her, pulls her - drags her away. She struggles to keep upright, but she can’t tell what upright is, the scream - Is fading. Growing distant. L’s world swims into focus. The hand on her wrist is Astraea’s, blazing with fierce golden light. She’s clutching the reliquary to her chest, hurrying back the way they came. Calm. In control.  Determined.  Puck may have vanished, and Bʲen is right behind them, but in this moment all L can think about is the glowing figure leading them to safety."Which way after the tile room?" L yells. "Left or right?"“Left!”  Astraea glows brighter, revealing the path. "Back through the bookshelf and down the ladder! After that it's mostly down!"  Another scream pierces the air as Astraea throws open the door to the tile room, tugging L through and slamming it shut behind them. "Hurry - " L pulls her away from the door. " - we - " She gasps. The armour has turned.  It’s… staring at them. L makes a strangled sound as it takes a single, grinding step…then lunges. Long arms arc and slam into tile, but L's already gone, pushing Astraea aside. She's halfway up the wall in a mad flutter of wings as the armour topples past her and crashes into the door. Rattling its hinges, the helmet rotates in place, locking onto the fugitives."RUN!"Astraea’s already in a full sprint through the door, not looking back. L's in the air, wings singing now they’re free of the death spell. Through and to the left to the shelf with the hidden crawlspace.  Not far away, they can hear the mechanical march of more constructs joining the pursuit."You go first!" She shouts over her shoulder. "I'll toss the book to you!""What?" L thumps into the shelf, halting her headlong flight in exchange for a bruise she can’t feel yet. “But what if it - ”Astraea shoves L toward the passage. "L, I'm NOT arguing this! Go!!"L looks anxiously at the book. Grabbing her sleeve, she tears it free and tosses it to Astraea. "Wrap it!  Just in case!”Without waiting for a reply, L ducks down and scrambles through, books tumbling past her to the ground some ten metres below. A few of their spines snap from the height of the fall, spilling dusty pages and ghostly figures across the floor. There’s the ladder, right where it should be, but L doesn’t need it. She turns, clinging to the shelves before dropping herself, her wings blurring to slow her descent. As soon as she's on the ground, she reaches up.  "Okay! Hurry!" The wrapped book hurtles down toward her. She grabs it, nearly collaping with the weight. It’s heavy, with both pages and time. Astraea practically throws herself out of the small gap, half-climbing, half-falling down the ladder. She’s just in time. A dozen armoured suits burst through the shelf passage, grasping blindly for the intruder. "You're okay?!" The dryad calls."...yes!” Astraea hits the floor with a thud.  "The exit isn't far! You can probably fly to it, I won't be far be-"" - Astraea!"Astraea jerks backwards, looking up just as the armour rains down, pieces shoving each other through the tiny crawlspace to tumble after them. Their pursuers aren’t bothering with the ladder, either. She cries out, throwing up her arms to shield her face. A silver gauntlet strikes her forearm, snapping open fasteners and buckles, locking itself into place with a self-satisfied click. Her arm twists around, pulling her toward the rest of the armour, already starting to assemble itself. With a desperate scream, Astraea shoves L away, greaves and plates and pauldrons raining down on her and crawling up her limbs. The harder she struggles, the more straps draw her in.  "GO! Run for the fairy circle… th-the one that called to you! You can make it!” L stumbles back, her heart in her mouth. More noises from above. More armour raining down. There's no time. No telling what they'll do to Astraea, but she's right, L’s fast. She has to get out, back home, back to the others. She steps back, her wings spread to fly. Astraea has protectors. Fili can get her out of this. L has what she came for. And all she has to do is... Leave.Astraea struggles with the armour as it forces her to lift a heavy, blank-faced helmet. L drops down. Her leg tenses. And she launches forward, swinging the book like a club. "NO!"The helmet flies away, bouncing off the wall and clattering to the floor. "What are you doing?!” Astraea screams. The armour scoops the helmet up.  “You have to get back!! Think of Ian! Think of-" The helmet seals over Astraea's head, cutting off her voice. Blind with rage, L drops the book and pounces on the armour, clawing furiously at it.  “Let her GO! Let go of - “Something hard and cold grabs her around the wrist and hauls her back. Another suit, dragging itself up from the floor, wrapping itself around her. Buckles tighten, digging into her skin. " - N-No!!" L shrieks. It's already so tight around her legs. She can't move her feet. Too late, she flaps her wings, lifting into the air to get away, but two more arms wrap around her, slamming her back to the ground. Enmeshed halfway up her torso, her legs standing firm and immobile.  “NO -”It's all she can say, it’s all she can think as she claws desperately at the plates and straps. L staggers to the side, crashing to the ground. The reliquary lies discarded on the floor. "W...hat have you d...one.... Lyra."Bʲen’s voice crackles with outrage as she steps down from the ladder, lifting the book off the floor. "Bʲen - " Straps tighten across her chest. Armoured plates seal in around her, forcing her upright, pulling her arms by her sides. L collapses to her knees as her wings are weighed down under a chain veil. " - Bʲen, please - " They were so close. So close. Something tightens around her head. A helmet, folding into place. She struggles to speak around the constricting metal, squeezing in at her jaw as if it wants to crush her." - you have to let us - " The visor slams shut.And she’s left in darkness.continue reading ->

Sometimes a plan works out.Sometimes it just goes horribly wrong.It’s not the first scrape our moth’s gotten herself caught in, but it’s certainly not going to be the easiest for her to flap her way out of. If she can find a way outThank you as always for reading, and please join us next time on November 29th to see the consequences of unauthorized browsing! - Hark