Darren’s carriage pulls up in front of the Imperial Library after a long day of travel from the outskirts of the city. Knowing what would be coming next, Darren was already feeling mentally taxed at the prospect of entering the building but enter it he must. After climbing the long stone staircase to the grandiose front door, Darren enters the interior of the beautifully lit building, taking some time to gaze at the splendour of this bustling building. Darren walks to the front desk, with a briefcase in hand, and addresses the stationed Librarian with a nod.

“My good sir, it is a fine day today, and a wonderful day for reading, how may I help you?” spoke the librarian enthusiastically, adjusting the small spectacles on his nose.

“I am here to see the librarian named Coventry.” The receptionist’s eye shudders slightly, his face forces a smile to avoid a grimace. “Is there not… anyone else that can be of service?” Darren shakes his head slowly, maintaining a thousand-yard stare, he has already checked out of this conversation.

“Please take a seat at one of the private reading rooms then.” The librarian gestures to a room upstairs. No sooner as Darren sits down does the librarian enter the room with a pained smile on his face. “Your attendee will be with you shortly.” As soon as the sentence is completed, he is kicked out of view of the doorway, and replaced with an identical looking librarian with a joyful grin on his face. “Mr Murphy, so pleasant to see you have come looking for my services once again.” The door shuts behind Coventry and he slides into the seat opposite of Darren. Coventry leans forwards with wild eyes, mouth stretched from ear to ear, “I trust you didn’t come here empty handed.”

Darren sighs and slides his briefcase onto the table, slowly opening it and swivelling it around so that Coventry may see the contents. Inside the brown leather briefcase, were two large blocks of wood, one light in colour, the other dark. Coventry snatches both pieces, rubbing the dark wood sensually on his cheeks. “Ah, sweet Bahovian cut Sandlewood, and what is this, a bonus? Oooh do I spy Checkar wood as well?” Coventry takes the time to have a deep smell of the wooden blocks. “Oooh so fresh, less than a month old, you spoil me, Darren.” Darren maintains an expression of mild disgust as he says, “Can you please play with your wood some other time? Preferably in private?” Coventry slowly places the blocks on the table, not wanting to let them go, “Don’t be gross Darren, let me enjoy my new wood.”

“There is something I actually came here to ask you Coventry.” Darren cannot seem to keep the librarian’s attention for long. “I need you to make me a rifle, custom.” Coventry’s eyes dart back to Darren, “I didn’t take you for a marksman, was under the impression you liked to get personal with your enemies.”

“It isn’t for me, it’s for….”

“For?”

“I have a new ward, a young girl, she is taking the course and I feel it would be a waste if I didn’t make full use of that new knowledge.”

“Well, yeh its totally doable.” Coventry’s eyes begin to return to the wooden blocks. “Its gonna take me a week… or two.” He walks his fingers towards his prize. “And you need to pay for it.” He pauses for a bit. “Though you can skip the payment if you help me with a small venture.” Darren leans back in his seat, “Why does everyone suddenly want me to do shit for them?” he thinks to himself.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I was hoping the wood would be enough.”

“That is a joke, right?”

“It’s expensive to get that stuff imported.”

“I know that’s why I don’t do it myself, but that still isn’t a fair trade! Look what I need is simple, I am going on an excursion to some newly discovered ruins, and I need a government official with as per the law, and if I have you around, I was hoping you would look the over way when I am exploring things my way.”

“That’s a big ask Coventry.” Darren furrows his brow.

“Yes, which is why I am asking you, cause I am hoping you will say yes.” Coventry’s face changes slightly to look cuter, as he attempts his best puppy dog eyes. “Goddam changeling knows how to push my buttons”, Darren thought to himself.

“I’m not saying yes, but…” Coventry is about to explode with joy when Darren pinches his ear to quickly calm him down. “Where are the ruins anyway.” Coventry settles himself and changes his appearance back to his work appearance.

“It’s in the uhm… Gylan Mountains…” Coventry tries to look as innocent as possible.

“Are you serious? That’s Goliath territory, highly restricted, how did you get permission to go there anyway?”

“I don’t have at the moment; I was hoping you would smooth that over for me as well.” Darren’s mood begins to anger.

“Fuck me, really? You want me to sort that out too?!” Coventry crawls onto the table, pathetically pleading Darren. “Pleaaaase, I’m just a poor little changeling, you’re a big strong inquisitor, you can smooth this over real nice!”

“What is in there that will be worth all this hassle?”

“I don’t know.” Darren gets up to leave, Coventry grabs his arm. “I do know that it will be important, translated text suggest it might be an armoury!” Darren pauses, considering the benefits vs the losses of such an excursion. Maybe it will be worth the trouble he will get from it, if the empire receives something extraordinary, they wont care too much about slight bends in the rules, and as long as they are not caught by the natives, no one will complain. Darren relaxes and sits back down in his chair. “Fine… but you pick the mercenaries, I don’t have time to be going over resumes.” Coventry smiles, “All according to plan” he thinks.

“But you have to make Rhea her rifle 1st.”

“Ah so your wards name is Rhea I see.” Coventry begins to squat on the table. “Name is awfully close to Rhian there Darren, coincidence?”

“I don’t like what you are suggesting.”

“I am merely thinking out loud, don’t trouble yourself.”

“Jostuss named her anyway.”

“I’m sure he did, I’m sure you were awfully quick to accept the name to.” Darren begins to look angry again.

“I just don’t want a fucking curse on me.”

“Oof, a Jostuss curse, nasty, alright I won’t pry further, I look forward to meeting her this weekend though.” Coventry slides off the table and opens the door of the private room.

“What? Why?”

“I need her measurements, for the custom rifle, remember?”

“Ah, yes, okay then.” Coventry begins ushering Darren out of the Library.

“Well good luck with all that at home, and good luck with the excursion paperwork, glad I won’t have to do it.” Darren feels too worn out to do anything but passively agree with whatever Coventry is saying. Soon Darren realises he is outside the building, with the door shut behind him. Darren sits against the wall, trying to relax all the stress he just built up.

“Fuck me…”