“So how do you know I didn’t drop the sword when I died?” I eventually asked Sir after what feel like years of silence.
The old yet powerful man looked at me in a way that suggested he was about to spill the beans. “I really don’t to be honest.” He tried to hide that he found it amusing, but his eyes looked alive and the corners of his lips looked like they were forcefully being dragged upwards.
“What! Then what are we doing. We should be checking that right now. Why haven’t you done so?” Hot rage poured out of me more than I imagined it would have out of the Fire Dragon Draconamir.
I immediately felt shame as Billy’s playful expression went from happy and joking to scared and saddened. “I really am sorry Kyle. I just… I don’t know. Maybe I thought that if I put off opening the box we would find out the sword was in their the whole time and we wouldn’t have to worry about all this.” He looked up at me with wide eyes and a frown that held no sign of a smile ever existing on his crinkly old lips.
I gradually switched my disposition from angry to enthusiastic so I could make up for what I had seemingly done to Billy. “Hey, let’s open it now then. I’m sure it’s in there and then everything can just go back to normal. I can go back to doing normal quests with normal endings and you can go back to being an Adventurer's guide.
Billy nodded and smiled as he pulled the box out of his bag and handed it to me. It seemed even more beautiful than the first time I saw it. After further examination, I realized that the box itself was made from sanded redwood planks and then that was carved in designs representing the six original dragons. The designs were then filled interchangeably with gold and dragon steel. Small gems and strips of dragon scales decorated the box in interesting patterns.
My hands grabbed the clasp that held box shut and attempted to open it. Nothing. I looked down at it and tried in every which way, but it just wouldn’t budge.
“Any idea Billy?”
The man nodded and motioned for me to hand the box over so I did. He grabbed it and sat it on his lap and then he put both hands on it and closed his eyes. “Hmmm, yes, I can feel it.” It was then that hit eyes shot open and he sat the box down. “Well, this isn’t going to be that fun, but I guess I should have expected it.”
“You see, Ky, your box is a rank Z which means it had a chance to have an additional task added to the requirements for opening it.”
I nodded and let him continue. He silently laughed a little like there was a joke between him and some invisible person behind me, but then he continue anyways. “you have to talk to it…”
“what?” I asked. “And do what?”
He looked at me like the joke had gotten even funnier. “And… ask it its name!” The man started cracking up again. It didn’t seem like he could go long without messing around and laughing at my misfortune.
“So that’s where your joke was inspired from. The boxes? Hopefully the solution is as simple as you telling me your name was Billy.” Billy looked at me with hope in his eyes, but he didn’t say much.
I looked over at Billy, he smiled as if knowing what I was about to do.
“Animate Object!” I yelled powerfully as I held the box up in the air towards the setting sun like it was heir to throne of the kingdom of boxes or something. A message appeared.
WARNING: [Adventurer’s Lootbox] is spelled with power anti magic properties. Casting Animate Object on it could have unforeseen effects and or consequences. Would you like to continue? Y/N
I thought about just ignoring the warning, but then I thought about everything that could go wrong.The two of us spent the rest of the day trying to release the box, but nothing happened. I tried using Clairvoyance, but nothing. All I got when I held the box and focused on the spell was a blank image. I then figured maybe if I could see what was in the box, I’d know how time sensitive opening it was.
“Do you think I could try and instead of thinking of its name, try to picture what’s inside it?”
The man’s eyes perked up and he seemed to stir out of boredom. “You could give it a try. I’m sorry that I’m not much help, only adventurers use these boxes and I’ve never met one like you before, so this is new to me as well.”
I nodded and then went back to work. I pictured the box in my mind and activated the spell again. This time I saw as my mind’s eye poured over the entire outside of the box, flipped it around and looked at its every detail. But it didn’t matter how much I looked at, or how much I willed it to open, nothing happened.
“Well, Billy, there’s one more thing we can try but I’m not really sure if it will work.”
I quickly reviewed my options and the possible consequences, but I decide to select ignore the warning and animate the object anyways. I thought the spell’s name and a rich azure goo flowed out of my hands and into the box.
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The bejeweled masterpiece groaned loudly as an unseen change began to take place deep within it. Red hot steam poured out of the sides and the top as the groans turned to screams and the screams turned to sharp blades that flew inside our ears, sliced through brains, and then shot out of our mouths in crimson waves of agony. The two of us succumbed to the pain and dropped to our knees with our hands over our ears, but the pain continued.
Pools of unknown plasmatic origins started dripping down the sides, first slowly, but then as the seconds turned to minutes a decent sized pool flooded the feet of the box. Wait, what? Yes, the box had feet, and knees, a torso, and… nope, no head. A mix of woods, metal, jewels, and scales littered the ground, but soon began to move together like something out of a horror movie.
The once lifeless globby pile formed a big ball like shape. Then two small, but detailed hands grabbed onto the ball and placed it on it’s head. The thing looked so ridiculous I couldn’t help but think that it was if Dr. Frankenstein stole my mom’s jewelry box in order to animate it,, only I guess it was my monster.
The box poked two decent sized holes in the center of what was becoming its face, two small ones in the middle of, and below, the eyes, and lastly it cut a horizontal line below the smaller holes, that spread horizontally from one side to the other.
At that point the pain had greatly subsided and we were standing wide eyed at the weird creature that was once the box. A notification appeared as the box seemed to be almost finished with its transformation. A small pile of the goo sat at its feet still, almost as if it was waiting.
I checked the notification and it read, WARNING: You have turned [Adventurer’s Loot box] into [Wooden Dragon Imp], but due to the nature of the change you will need to expend the rest of your mana to permanently animate it. If you don’t, the complexity of the result will cause the creature, and therefore its contents, to be destroyed. Proceed? Y/N.
I stood unsure of what to do next. I turned to Billy for answers, but he didn’t see to have anything to offer. All he managed to muster was a quiet, “It’s up to you friend.”
I thought over my options and decided to give Clairvoyance another shot. I wasn’t about to rush into a situation without at least trying to find some answers. I focused on the WDIP and visions started floating through my mind.
The contents of the box were still protected from my peering mind, but some images did float through. I was seemingly inside a dark cave. The only sources of light were dim and came from small glowing creatures with wings. They were all tied down but heavy looking chains.
My heart grew heavy as I witnessed was clearly torture of some sort. A small red ghoulish creature with blue eyes and small white horns entered the room. He wore a flowing cloak and spotted a devilish grin.
He walked around the room and smacked around the fairies as he shot off arrows of profanity at them and threatened their lives. After he managed to make his way around the whole room, the imp turned to leave and then yelled, “Don’t you ever forget it was Magnolias that you wronged and it will be Magnolias that makes you pay.”
My vision faded and I stared back at the imp-like object, then aware of the soul that would possess the body if I accepted the transfer of mana. I informed Billy of what I witnessed and then his expression grew even more afraid.
“I just don’t know Ky… We really need to know if the sword is in there. There haven’t been any reports about it, but you never know. But, to be honest? That vision you saw is of a powerful imp that was caught and killed three months ago.”
I looked at the man and nodded, eagerly waiting for more information. Billy noticed this and continued. “Yes, well the imp Magnolias was actually a fairy prince. He was well-liked and known by all. But then rumors spread of a wrongdoing he committed.”
Billy took a deep, solemn breath and then continued as dread completely took over his face.“Instead of a trial, the prince got dragged to the caves of transition, as they are often called, and was then forced into the life of an imp. He spent the rest of his life torturing fairies and turning them into imps. I really don’t know what will come out of this, but I have a feeling it can’t be good.”
I stood for another moment to absorb the information and the notification popped up again, only this time it told me I had another sixty seconds to decide. I panicked as I would have to make a hard decision. Do I say yes and open the box, unleashing an evil being with unknown powers in its current form, or do I just say no and destroy everything?
I watched the seconds tick down on my warning and then I had a thought. I put my hands on the box creature and said, “Open Magnolias” but all I was rewarded with was another notification.
WARNING: Sorry adventurer, that’s not going to work. The soul of Magnolias isn’t present yet, so the name of the box is still unknown. To open the box with that name, you must transfer over your mana. You have fifteen seconds adventurer, make a decision.
Billy and I panicked, this was it. There was no going back. “Billy do you have any weapons? We are going to need it.” Billy dug through his bag as I checked the timer. 8, 7, 6… Billy pulled out two iron longswords and threw me one. I didn’t how to use it, but the imp wouldn’t know that.
3..., 2..., 1… I accepted the prompt and immediately received a pang of regret that began to twist a knot deep in my stomach. I looked upon the creature and the puddle began to swirl and vibrate as it climbed up the short wooden legs and up to the face of the creature. The goo glowed, changing from its plain green opacity to a more resolute, sky blue.
The goo then split into several pieces, entering the creature’s eyes, nose, and mouth/ The creature then fell to its still newly-formed knees. Billy and I backed away from the creature and raised our swords.
It looked up at us and a wicked green flashed on its crooked smile, but then it washed away and was replaced with a blank expression. “I’m here to do your bidding master.” The creature then bowed and put its right hand up to its forehead in a salute.
“Really?” I asked skeptically.
“I don’t know…” Billy said as he got right up in the creature's face. “Boo!” He yelled, but the creature didn’t flinch.
“Magnolias…?” I asked as I placed my free hand on the creature’s shoulder, unsure of how to proceed. It was at that moment that a surprised expression appeared on the creature’s face as he dropped to his knees again and began to wretch in agony.
White foam poured out of the creature’s mouth in impossibly large volumes. It felt like forever, but two items eventually flew out of the creature's mouth and came clashing to the ground in front of my feet.I reached down and picked up the two muck covered items, wiped them off and stared upon my fate.