Novels2Search
Chaos
Chapter IV A book shouldn't have a face...right?

Chapter IV A book shouldn't have a face...right?

The team was now following Phantom who had his eyes concentrated on the magical "compass". Once again they were in forest, but this time this one didn't have any spell casted on it. Or at least none they would have known.

- You know- Samukai started- since you're doing so great in battles all by yourself, then why do you need us?

- That's actually a really good question- Noktum added.

- Well, what would I look like when I would be running all around the world like stupid by myself?

- So are we like some sort of company ?- samurai asked.

- Not really, more like, hmm- demon took his time to think what exactly they were to him- I wouldn’t really call you my servants but you have to do everything I say

- So we're here to do dirty work?

- Yes, for what else I would've needed you? After all I am the one who work for Lucifer, not you

- You are worse than I originally thought

- I will take this as a compliment

Then they were marching in total silence for more or less ten minutes, when Noktum spotted some sort of ruins. They looked like they belonged to an old stronghold. Only the tower and the entrance looked like they wouldn’t collapse at any second. The rest was composed of vines and moss that grew along the broken stone used for the stronghold.

- This sure seems interesting, who knows what we could find here?- wondered the magician.

- I don't know, but I do feel a rather interesting aura- demon replied. It was weird to say the least. It smelled of…old? And moss? Or mold? He wasn’t sure which but it wasn’t a pleasant scent.

- I hope that you won't blow this place up, when we are inside

- And what if I do?

- Can we go there, please?- Noktum asked.

They did as Noktum pleaded. Inside of these ruins were rather dusty, but to their shock it wasn't even slightly damaged. Everything looked like it was placed here a day before their arrival. First thing that the team noticed was that the ruins were much bigger inside than outside.

- Hey, do you think that somebody lives there, I mean it looks like it could be inhabited- Noktum wandered around the entrance.

- Well I hope so. I am still ready to teach those humans how a real spellcaster fight

- And I doubt there will be anything. I mean, it is possible that it was already raided, and if not then those who lived there, probably took anything useful

- Well Samukai, they probably took anything useful to them, I mean humans, and might have left something for us to use- Noktum corrected the warrior.

- When you said it like that...this might have sense

Phantom wasn't paying attention to their conversation.That aura surely didn’t belong to a magic user, but anything that could have an aura like that was too big to even fit in there. It could've also been an artifact, but what fool would leave something valuable there.

- Hey, are you sensing another legion or something?- warrior suddenly asked.

- Huh, what no, I've just thinking

- About what?

- That aura, I think it comes from the depths of this stronghold, but I don't know what it can be

- Yea, fine, magician come with me for a while

- Wait, for what?- Samukai pulled the shadow, by his arm, to another room.

Samurai found a table with two chairs. They both sit down, and then warrior started:

- We need a leader, for our little miss-mash

- Isn't Phantasm a leader?

- Who said that, because if it is self called, then it do not count

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

- I think Lucifer might have made him one

- And I don't care what the goat head has told, we need a leader that knows what he is doing, and not like that, who that demon is. I mean, he sure doesn't have everything all right in his skull.

- Well Phantasm is not the most sane demon I've seen, but who else could be our leader?

- Maybe someone who had been in team and know how it works

- Let me guess, you?

- Yes! Beside I doubt he was in a team to begin with

- So go tell him that you want to be a leader

- Yea and get hit by a spell? I'd rather not

- Well, this is the only way...

- Choice!

- Excuse me?

- We will choose

- That's actually reasonable

- You done talkin'?- demon suddenly asked.

- GAH! Don't scare me like that!- shouted the samurai.

- So what will we choose?

- Good , you're asking. We will choose a leader for that "team" of ours

- Fine by me

He reacted better than I thought

- Noktum, you will decide- Phantom said with rather unnaturally calm voice

Magician quietly nodded his head.

- So who's after the idea that I should be the leader?- Samukai asked.

Nobody reacted. Even Fenfir stopped doing whatever he was doing in the hall.

- I hate you- Samukai quietly said.

- See? Nobody wants you as a leader, so stop fooling around and help me with finding whatever is there

Warrior once again defeated by the demon was now closing the path of the team. They were heading now to the basement. Wooden doors that were guarding possible treasurers left behind by those who lived there, were opened by force, leaving them slightly damaged. Behind them was a long and dark hallway. Noktum summoned a little, flickering flame that illuminated the darkness opposing them. When the stairs finally ended and the entire team was down, they all could see that this part of the stronghold was smaller than the upper part. Fenfir now needed to crouch, to not hit the ceiling.

Hall seemed empty, until Phantom hit his tail on something.

- Noktum, light- he ordered.

Mage did as it was said, and all of them saw some sort of shelf. There was something that looked like a leather bag.

Samukai lifted it, but quickly put it down as it was weirdly light.

- It's nothing there

- Let me see it- Noktum said.

Warrior stepped out of the way, and shadow took the bag, bringing it closer to his eye. He examined it for a while and said:

- Samukai, could you give me one of your swords?

- Why do you need my katana?

- I'd like to confirm my theory

- Fine- samurai handed his katana to the mage. Noktum opened the bag and put the sword inside.

- It's no use, the bag is to small

- Are you sure?- right after he said this, the entire katana disappeared inside the bag. While Samukai was quite shocked, the demon only looked at the mage as if wondering about something.

- As I thought, it is one of these artifacts that are able to hold many items in themselves

- Can I get my katana back?

- Sure- magician handed the sword to its owner

- You seem like a knowledgeable shadow, Noktum- Phantasm said, taking a closer look at the shadow.

- Well, I could call myself rather intelligent

- I hope you will be the same when I'll be teaching you

- I am sure that I will not disappoint you

- Leave that talk for later and let's go

As they were going deeper into the hallway, Phantom felt that the aura was getting stronger and stronger with every step made. All of them could also feel that it was getting colder. Finally Phantasm stopped when he accidentally hit his head on something. As it turned out, the doors were made of old oak. Doors opened just by slightly pressing on them, uncovering the room that was as dark as the hallway. Noktum then created a greater fire that showed the secrets of the room.

Many bookshelves covered in dust, a rather big table with six chairs standing in the middle and many weird ornamentation. Some of them looked like figures of, by their guess, creatures. One of them had tentacles for its legs and bat wings on the back. Generally, they were pretty bizarre and gave all of them bad vibes. It could have been a place of occult, but Phantom had not recognized any of the demons that the figures presented.

But the most important thing was that anything that had this aura was there. Demon felt that it came from the bookshelves. He started checking one by one, and stopped by one particular book. Phantom was now staring at a really damaged brown book. He carefully took it from the shelf and was quite shocked by what he saw on the front. The book was titled Necronomicon, which probably had to do something with necromancy, but the weird thing was, that it had a carved face. It had everything, eyes, mouth that maybe showed disgust and even nostrils.

Needless to say, it wasn't the most pleasant book to look at. Even worse was that, it was the source of that aura, but simply a book about necromancy just couldn't have that much power.

He tried to open it, but when he tried to flip the cover, he suddenly felt light headed. Phantasm quickly dropped the book and called to the magician:

- Noktum, bring that bag here, I have something we might take

Shadow came to his leader and looked at the book lying on the floor.

- Necronomicon? Why are we taking a book about necromancy

- This book isn't a normal book about necromancy, let alone I don't know if this book even is about that. That's why I want to study it later

Noktum put the treasure in the bag. He wandered around, looking for anything else that was worth taking. That was until he stepped on the wooden floor and heard cracking beneath him.

Floor under him collapsed and the magician landed with a loud thud on the ground.