“So what’s next? Now that yer all happy and going questing, when do we leave?” Twonger asked.
“Now, we all try to get some rest before we break into two groups and head our separate ways tomorrow. I know you may not understand the sappy stuff, Twonger, but most of us have grown bonds of close friendships over these loops. So we kind of like the sappy moments when we get them.” Andy answered the alien, annoyed with his gruff attitude.
“Yeah yeah yeah, learn to be nice and all that bullshit. Can’t I just be super useful instead? I’m better at that.” Twonger shook his head as he unpacked a few items and made himself a comfortable place to sleep.
“I find that works just as well, though I haven’t tried to murder Cal, so your case is a bit unique,” Andrew said.
Andy woke up the next morning to the smell of a fresh Bill breakfast. To his surprise, Bart had joined him in the preparation. Somehow, they had found bacon, and it smelled amazing. Andy thought that a good breakfast was always the best way to start a dangerous trip, and the capybaras made the best food he had ever tasted.
A speaker in the room began to crackle.
“That’s new, what’s happening?” Serilina asked as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The cat sleeping on top of her groaned and rose with her. He did not look happy to do so.
“Shh,” Libby hushed any further noise.
“All janitorial staff, please begin the process of around-the-clock library card checking. All guests without cards are to be removed from the Library. Please provide Librarian Unit Zero Zero Four and former building engineer Bartholomew any help they request should you cross their paths.” The voice crackled as it came out of the long, unused speaker somewhere above their heads.
“So does this mean we have help?” Ralth asked, breaking the silence that had followed the announcement.
“Possibly, the janitorial staff hasn’t been as reliable as they once were, but I believe we are about to witness their last stand in a desperate attempt to get us all to our destinations. It’s time to depart this room of safety, as I am not willing to let my former friends die without doing everything I can to fix this.” Libby’s face had become the most animated Andy had seen on the puppet.
“Agreed, come dogs, let us start our journey. If the central engineer wants both of our groups to be aided, that means our quest is just as important as theirs. Let’s go and fix this Library.” Bart joined Libby in their determined look.
He started stripping the room of various amenities and shoving them in a bag that shouldn’t have been able to hold them.
“Ugh, how exactly did you just put the couch into your backpack, Bart?” Bug asked.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“It’s his engineering pack, looks like he managed to hold onto it all this time. It gives him a connection to a pocket of space to store any tool he may need.” Libby Answered for the former engineer.
“Oh, so Bart has a bag of holding? Neat,” Bug said.
As they made their way out of the reading room, the book began to emanate a light that quickly grew into a focused beam.
“I will guide you as best I can for now, but the light will not last forever. Be strong, my proteges. Soon, our order will bark through history yet again.” The book’s voice sounded proud.
“Bug, try to get everyone back alive, okay? I don’t want Ethel or Cal tearing this place apart in a rage.” Andy nodded at the dog as he said this.
“It would be cool to see Frank unleashed here, though. Bart, you’re gonna love Frank when you meet him. He’s a giant tree man and one of the best wrestlers in the world. BYE ANDY. BYE BILL. BYE ANDREW. BYE RALTH. BYE SERILINA. BYE MR. WIGGLES. BYE LIBARIAN MA’AM. BYE TWONGER!” Bug continued her shouted goodbyes as she disappeared down a corridor of books after Bart.
“You know, as much as she may grate on my nerves, I’d feel much safer if she had stayed with us. She has an oddly calming presence.” Andrew’s complaints about Bug had diminished over the loops.
“You know, Drew, it’s good to see I’m still capable of some growth after becoming you. It’s one of my bigger fears.” Andy smiled at his older self, knowing he had just annoyed him.
“Where to mates? And who wants to lead our doomed brigade of ever so merry men?” Twonger asked.
“Follow me. We are going to head deep into the heart of the stacks.” Libby answered.
“Ya’ll feel that? Something is watching us. I don’t like it.” Twonger said as they began their march.
“Yes. Mr. Wiggles is particularly unnerved. Wait, what’s that wiggly boy? A brood mother. I don’t know what that is.” Serilina looked at her cat, confused.
“Are you sure he just said a brood mother.” Ralth had an edge of fear in his question.
“Yeah, he also says it’s time to run,” Serilina answered.
“No, it’s not. Running will just get us killed. It’s time to build a bulwark of defenses. Bill watch what I do and copy me exactly, layer after layer. Twonger, get that mana sword of yours ready. How strong of control do you have over its mana resonance?” Ralth asked as he started shaping strands of mana across the air from the direction they came.
“As good as anyone that ain’t one of you freaks of power or an ancient master. Why, what do you need.” The mana sword had ignited in his hand again.
“Give me serene nature, a perfect day of harmony, a nice picnic with friends, something like that. I need to be able to copy it. Brood mothers have a strong aversion to the basic pleasantries of life.” Ralth continued his weaving, Bill following his every action.
“You don’t ask for much, do you, big guy? How’s this?” Twonger’s sword glowed a blue-green hue.
“Odd, but it will have to do.” A flow of mana moved from the sword into Ralth and from Ralth, exploded out into and over the weave he and Bill had created, just as a giant blood-red spider crashed into it from above.
Its pincers dripped blood. There were several bodies tangled in the webbing that had been dragged from above with it. Its scream made Andy want to throw up.
Instead, he ignored it and channeled his mana. He was done letting fear control him in this loop.