To Grand Summoner Zheng
My former friend. It crushes me to hear you once more spurn me and act as though what is a command was a mere request. You and your cowardly seers will hand over what we require for The Creed Project. If you then choose to flee to some far-off fastness and cease to matter in the world we will not stop you. However, The Void Summoner Guild has enjoyed the fruits of the Final Peak Alliance since its inception. You cannot simply wash your hands of us because you were outvoted on a matter you feel passionate about. Hand over the Wings and we will let you go any day you wish, but should you attempt to shirk your responsibilities the alliance will have no choice but to destroy you.
Please even if you do not trust these experiments you once trusted me. Give us the Wings.
Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas
Chapter 46: Books
Alabaster
While the prospector’s perspective on the swampland was extremely helpful, Alley couldn’t quite shake the feeling that there was more going on here. While his knowledge of the Undead mostly came from piecing together scary story fragments, Alley had never heard of naturally occurring Undead. Such a thing very well may exist, but he had a feeling that it would be even rarer than the necromantically raised version of the monster type.
With that in mind he had insisted they take what was left of the afternoon to do some research on the local history. Alley’s hopes had soared when he realized Rak had a public library. Those same hopes had taken a pretty significant blow when the boys had approached the building and Alley saw a sign hanging on the door that said ‘Opens when Natasha wakes up’.
Fortunately this late in the afternoon the surprisingly young librarian was awake. Awake and exceedingly drunk. The woman had initially tried to refuse them entry so she could lock up, presumably to continue drinking unimpeded. The boys had only managed to gain entry by promising to do the woman’s chores for her, and then some.
This was how Alley found himself sitting at a table in a closed library with half a dozen historical tomes the size of his head laid out in front of him. While he poured over the books a less than enthusiastic Darius was using the head of his spear wrapped in cloth to dust the tops of high shelves. Over at the front desk, Natasha sat drinking the foulest-smelling brandy Alley had ever encountered while she shouted increasingly vague instructions to the redheaded boy.
Alley wouldn’t exactly call what he was reading interesting but by the time the stars had come out he thought he’d found the likely source of the Undead. Hundreds of years ago a rich woman with an intense passion for both botany and alchemical experimentation had built a mansion out in the swamp.
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The books disagreed on what exactly had happened, but some sort of cataclysmic tragedy had swept through the mansion. It had apparently been either a fire, an earthquake, or an alchemic experiment gone wrong. Whatever had happened, everything Alley read suggested the road to the mansion had mysteriously vanished mere days after whatever tragedy had befallen the place.
That all sounded very much like the kind of place that would spit out Undead to Alley.
With the librarian long since passed out Darius had redirected his energy into finding treaties on spear techniques. By the time Alley as ready to leave he had found a book and a scroll, both of which the boy stuffed into his backpack.
“You are just going to take those?” Asked Alley with a raised eyebrow.
Darius shot a quick look at Natasha who was draped over the desk before shrugging.
“It is a Library”
Alley snorted at the obvious theft, but didn’t protest further. He doubted the librarian would notice or even care if she did. On the other hand the old lady Ilsa cared very much that the boys weren’t on time for dinner, giving them a hearty scolding upon their return. Alley was a little confused why it mattered as she was serving a Frostlander style cold soup anyway.
Darius managed to placate the woman by speaking to her in Frostlander, which pleased her so much she insisted on making them dessert.
Planning on collecting their rented raft and heading into the swamp before the sun rose, the boys returned to their separate rooms to get an early night. Laying in the dusty old bed that dominated his rented room, Alley turned the information he had gathered over in his mind. It might all prove to be an utterly useless waste of time but Alley was basically making up hunting Undead as he went and his instincts told him this was a resource he could find value in.
“You know,” said Alley the next morning as the boys used polls to propel and guide their raft. “ For a swamp full of Undead this place is a bit…” Alley made a circular gesture with one hand as he searched for the word “vibrant.”
“I know what you mean,” said Darius looking around“ Even the name meaning bad day seems weird, this place is almost idyllic.”
It was true. While there were trees and tall reeds enough to obscure the waterways ahead the Rakino swamp possessed a light airiness to it. Especially compared to the massive and ancient trees that turned day to night in the swamps of Alley’s homeland to the north. Colorful insects fluttered between flowers and fruiting vines while equally colorful birds Alley didn’t recognize pursued them.
“Lotta mosquitoes though.” They both agreed in unison.
Alley’s research suggested the ancient mansion was probably somewhere near the western edge of the swamp’s heart. It was an area people apparently stayed away from due to the high density of undead, the low density of bog iron, and strange plants that somehow caused you to lose your way.
Both boys had agreed that even if the mansion proved to be elsewhere, that sounded like a good place to start some Deck Building. Of course, they still didn’t know how one created a Card from an Undead creature, but they would play that card when they drew it. For now, finding a group of living dead was challenging enough…..Or at least that's what Alley thought until all around the raft a swarm of rotting men burst from the water.