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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Funeris" data-source="post: 2813395" data-attributes="member: 22792">Chapter 6: Fata Viam Invenient ContinuedCassock stepped through the doorway and into an enormous library.  Along each of the sides of the rectangular room ran enormous shelves filling the room for floor to cathedral ceiling.  There were only a few empty spots along the shelves—books Spinum had removed for research.  Each individual shelf curved down, straining under the immense weight of its contents.The mage sat at an aged table, pouring over his pile of reading material.  The entrance of Lady Llewyllyn and Cassock of Cael was entirely unnoticed as he flipped fervently through the yellowed pages.The lady cleared her throat, forcing Spinum to look up.  He smiled for a moment before turning his eyes downward to absorb more information.  She grasped the cleric’s arm—a grasp as strong as steel—and tugged him along the bookshelves.  Cassock’s eyes rolled in his head, trying to absorb the titles of the immense collection.  He was pulled along too fast to notice many that would hold interest.  Planar Cosmology:  The Gods’ Blunder leapt out at him but they had passed before he could reach out and snatch the tome.  “Here we are,” Lady Llewyllyn stated, snapping Cassock into a stopped position.  She released his arm and carefully withdrew a tome nearly as thick as the priest’s arm was long.  With a quick brush, she dusted ages of dust from its binding.  She held the tome out, indicating Cassock should take it.The priest cautiously held the tome, glancing over the fading gold lettering:  The Gods’ War:  A History and the Ramifications of Divinity  upon Norum da Salaex.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bit of work to do.”  Llewyllyn smiled brightly.  “But everything you need to know can be found within those pages.  And whether or not you believe me, that tome speaks the truth.”  Without giving Cassock the time for a retort, she pivoted and moved toward the doorway.Before she could exit, the rogue wandered in, nearly bumping into the lady.  “Oh, um…sorry, Lady.”“No apology is necessary, Aramil.  Have you seen Ana or Zayda?”“Yes,” the half-elf answered.  “I just left them downstairs.  They’re having breakfast.”“Good.  I should go make sure they are comfortable.”  Aramil nodded as Llewyllyn brushed past him.  Turning, the half-elf stumbled into the room, observing its details very carefully.“Something is different in here,” Cassock murmured.  He sat the book down beside Spinum’s pile.  The mage glanced up and smiled.  “You haven’t figured it out, yet?”Cassock sneered.  “And you have?”“Let me guess, you’re feeling a lot better now that you’re in here—more complete.”“Something like that.”“Yes, well.  Unlike the rest of this castle, our magic is not repressed here.”  To accent his point, a glowing orb of light formed in Spinum’s hand.“By the Gods…”“It’s a great defense,” the mage acknowledged.  “There are only a few spots where magic actually functions.  It is no wonder that the clergy and the King leave the ladies alone.”“How?”“My impression is that either the ladies are using some type of relic—or that they are exceedingly powerful.  A relic or several relics would be the most efficient means, however.  And that by no means should be interpreted as a lack of ability on their part.”  Spinum’s head turned to the left, passing the long shelves to focus on Aramil.  “Rogue!  What are you doing?”Aramil refused to turn around.  Instead, he muttered, “This candelabra…it is slightly crooked.”  The rogue twisted the metal, a popping sound echoed through the room.  He stumbled back as two of the bookshelves along the short wall slid open.  The shelves withdrew revealing two storage rooms overflowing with items.Spinum’s head fell to the table, his hands massaging his aching temples.  An impossible amount of magic radiated from the rooms, instantly causing a maelstrom of pain to brew within the mage’s mind.Cassock rushed toward the rogue, leaving the tome upon the table.  Aramil bent down—a small leather wrapped item drawing his attention.  He picked the object up and removed its cover.  The rogue held an ornate deck of cards within his hands.  With a quick flick of his wrist, the cards were shuffled and he flipped three cards out onto the wooden floor.The three cards rested face down as Cassock grabbed Aramil by the shoulder.  “What are you doing?!” he screamed, knocking the deck from the rogue’s hands.  A burst of wind appeared from nowhere, circling through the library.  Books fluttered and flapped, almost clapping at the spectacle.  Before their eyes, the first card levitated and spun, revealing its face…</blockquote>

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