Parthia – World of The Misplaced Dungeon
{Timeline: June 2019 – MD approximately Ch. 104}
Jaitor stared at the closed door to his establishment. He fingered the beautifully finished books on his table. They were identical to each other, and their nonsense script was neat and crisp. The diagrams he recognised, they were the same as those in his book.
Then there was the picture of him and his shop on the back page. It was extremely lifelike. He picked up the skill crystal the little man had left with the books. He studied it carefully. As far as he could make out it was as advertised, a skill crystal with a complete language and all that implied. Potentially, granting a completely new way of looking at the world.
Jaitor then perused the contract the little man, Daniel, had left him and hummed thoughtfully.
Rather absently he stored the bag of coins, the contract and the books in one of his many storage devices, before donning his fashionable cloak. He pocketed the skill crystal, and left his shop, making sure to lock the door and flick the sign on the door to read ‘closed’.
He made his way to the Central Plaza. He smiled and nodded at those of his acquaintances and friends he met along the way, but he didn’t stop to talk. Once he arrived at the Central Plaza he paused, looking around, then taking a deep breath he made his way to the Street of the Guilds.
He walked past the huge elaborate building that housed the Weaver’s Guild and shortly came to the small, humble looking brick edifice, that served as the home of the Enchanter’s Guild. Jaitor entered, he ignored the marble floors and discrete artwork, even as he ignored the receptionist at the front desk.
He climbed the sweeping stairs, not seeing the sour look the receptionist gave him. He barely hesitated after his brief knock, before barging into the office of his friend, the Guild’s treasurer.
Ruufous shot him an amused look, “What’s got into you Jaitor? I’ve not seen you this agitated since our Journeyman exams.”
Jaitor stopped abruptly, looking around in surprise and doing a good impression of a landed fish. “Um, sorry old friend – but...”
“But what?” grinned Ruufous.
Jaitor drew in a deep breath, then produced the two books and placed them carefully on his friend’s desk. Beside them he placed the skill crystal and the contract he had been offered, and finally, the bag of coins. Then he dropped into one of Ruufous’ visitor’s chairs.
* * *
After examining the items on his desk, reading through the contract carefully and counting the cash Ruufous looked up thoughtfully.
“Well, are you going to sign this? You do realise a legitimate contract with a dungeon is enforced by the System. Though I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
Jaitor stared at his friend, “A dungeon?” he asked.
Ruufous grinned ruefully. “Jaitor, my friend, how is it you haven’t heard that Mary Silvestre is Blue Lagoon’s guiding intelligence?”
Jaitor rubbed his chin. And, somehow he looked happier. “So this nonsense about another world – has to be true?” Then he reached for one of the pens lying on his friends desk, dipped it in the inkwell and scrawled his signature on the contract.
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« ting: contract accepted »
The two men froze for a moment, staring at each other.
“Congratulations old friend,” said Ruufous. “You realize we are going to have all the officers of the guild who happen to be in the building here soon. They are going to want to know what you just signed. It’s not every day the System witnesses a contract so publicly.”
Jaitor stared at the contract for a few seconds, then he reached for the skill crystal and activated it. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes as he endured the familiar ache that always accompanied a major skill implantation via skill crystal.
* * *
Falabela the Orator was snoozing in her office, the Guild master of Drakoton’s Enchanter’s Guild was leaning back in her chair with her feet on her desk when she was rudely awakened.
“Breke-ke-kex Coax Coax,” blared the jadeite ornamental frog that had been sitting on the windowsill of her office for years.
Dropping her feet to the ground, and grabbing the desk in a successful attempt to prevent her chair from going over backwards, Falabela breathed deeply hoping to steady her heartbeat.
“Breke-ke-kex Coax Coax,” blared the enchanted ornament once again.
Cursing her luck, Falabela rose to her feet and went to shut the racket off. She noted the three letter code showing on the carved lily pad that formed the base of the ornament. She slid the small notepad from under the ornamental statuette, and checked the code.
Falabela put the notebook back where it belonged and left her office. She collected her private secretary and headed for the stairs. As she passed the deputy guild master’s office, that worthy emerged. “Guild Master, was that the System message alarm? What...”
“Our dear Treasurer is involved somehow. I’m on my way to see the old goat now,” stated Falabela as she started to descend the stairs. Beltix hurried to follow her.
* * *
Ruufous looked at his friend as he sagged in his chair. He rose and went to rummage in one of the cabinets that lined the walls of his office. He picked up a small anti-pain potion, shaking it vigorously, he moved towards Jaitor and handed it to him.
Jaitor looked at the small potion bottle that he was now holding. He pulled the cork and downed the potion with a shudder. He placed the empty bottle on Ruutous’ desk and accepted the glass of water his friend was now offering.
“Thanks old friend, those damn potions seem to taste worse every time I take one.”
“Careful with that skill crystal Jaitor. It hasn’t crumbled or dimmed,” said Ruufous.
Jaitor looked at the crystal he was still holding. “Here Ruufous, you might as well have it, I make you a gift of it.”
It was at that point that door to Ruufous’ opened and Guild Master Falabela arrived at the head of a small party of Guild officials, and a few curious passers by.
“Ruufous, what is going on? Why are you making System regulated contracts with an intelligent dungeon core? And how is it possible outside the dungeon’s domain?”
Ruufous gazed at a visibly agitated Falabela. “Not me Guild Master. The guilty party is Jaitor the so called Magnificent.”
Jaitor shot his friend a fulminating glare. Then he stood and bowed to Falabela. “Earlier today, I was approached by a small man who went by the name of Daniel. I presume he was a representative of the dungeon core. He handed me two books in a foreign language, a contract and a skill crystal. Oh, and some money.
“I came to discuss things with Ruufous. And, well, I signed the contract. That contract,” Jaitor pointed to the contract that was still sitting on the desk.
“May I?” asked Falabela, as she picked it up and started reading it. Once she finished it she passed it to Beltix. “That will have to be filed, make two official copies, one for Jaitor and the other for the Adventurer’s Guild. They are the ones who are in charge of dealing with dungeons.”
Beltix, who had just finished reading the contract, nodded. “It will be done as you command... I wonder if this Mary Silvestre, would be interested in some other of our works...?”
Ruufous looked at Beltix with speculation, Jaitor did so with indignation.
“What should we do with this skill crystal Guild Master. I am fairly sure it still has three charges left,” asked Ruutous.
“It includes some interesting mathematical concepts. You should use it Ruufous,” insisted Jaitor.
* * *
That evening, back in his home, Jaitor finished leafing through the solitary copy of his translated book that remained his. The other copy now resided in the secure section of the Guild’s library.
“Not badly done at all, I wonder if those substitutions would work here on Parthia...”
Jaitor rose and collected his Principals of Enchanting for Journeymen. He tapped a nervous finger on the cover of his only other book. “No Beltix, if anyone is going to get published on another world, it is going to be me,” murmured Jaitor to himself.