A blood red, gelatinous mass hangs from the ceiling, gooey tentacles with grinning mouths weaving over and around the bookshelves like snakes. Crimson tendrils with unblinking eyes watch over dozens of shoulders as people quietly read. The library is silent, save for the comforting rustle of turning pages. Ashtrunk was right, this is much easier in my true form! - From the Journal of the Librarian
Vreem POV
“Are you quite finished with this little tantrum? Because I assure you, I’m prepared to continue for at least another few hours.”
Infuriatingly, Ashtrunk is correct. I’m running out of energy, exhausted by fighting a war on two fronts- internally against the rampant tumours, and externally against the astonishingly nimble healer. The fact that their flesh reassembles itself as fast as I can rip it apart doesn’t help. I could also keep fighting for hours, but that would require consuming a lot of ‘unnecessary’ flesh and bone, and I’d rather keep that for absolute emergencies only.
“I will kill you one day, Healer Ashtrunk. But it doesn’t seem I can do that today, not as I am now. I am weak. That doesn’t change the fact that you are correct- I’m not angry anymore, just hateful.”
“Thank you for being honest with me, Vreem. I shall be honest too; I’m not happy to hear that you hate me, but I understand why. Nevertheless, you have passed the test- welcome to the Aberrant Mind Rehabilitation and Repair group!”
I consider interrupting them to ask questions, but this is the first time I’ve heard anything resembling passion or excitement in their voice. I have a feeling that their monologue will contain many answers.
“The goal of this group is to seek strange and uniquely challenged individuals such as yourself and help them to integrate as smoothly as possible into Deepvein culture, as well as society in general. In your case, Vreem, if you’re trying to pass as a normal human you are failing spectacularly. You lack any pain response, you have a physical resilience surpassing even mine despite having slower regeneration, and you have demonstrated limited shapeshifting capabilities- even right now, your nails and teeth are more like daggers than any part of human biology!”
As their excitement grows, I start to reconsider. Should I try to silence them? If I sacrifice enough, there’s a chance that… no, there isn’t. They simply regenerate too quickly for flesh wounds to do anything, and they are too nimble to let me get at their brain. Glumly, I listen as they continue their monologue, now pacing back and forth excitedly- a gesture which is greatly at odds with their appearance being reminiscent of a dehydrated corpse.
“Even more interesting, while planting tumours I do believe that I’ve found an answer for the friction between your mind and soul! While we were fighting, your brain was hotter than your muscles, and your soul was entirely within your body- You’re using your soul to enhance and control your body, even to the level of directing your body towards the tumours in order to destroy them! In fact, I suspect that your brain is secondary- you mostly think with your soul, do you not?”
They are almost entirely correct, and my concerns keep rising as they continue to do so.
“I have a few theories about your true nature! Now keep in mind that while I won’t force you to confirm or deny anything, the more I know the truth the more I can help you- and I do want to help you. If it helps assuage your concerns, I do have a selfish motivation; no physical wound poses a problem to me anymore. I could heal a severed head! These days, I am pursuing mental wounds. It requires an entirely different toolset, and experiments about the mind are unpredictable! Even better, each mind is different, a new puzzle to twist and click and piece together! And you, Vreem, pose a unique opportunity. I have two theories about what you are; my first theory is that you’re some kind of shapeshifting creature, likely one that somehow escaped the Beneath, pretending to be a human in order to try and make his way back underground after realising the surface isn’t so great. Alternatively, you could be an undead! Some new and fascinating kind of spirit, possessing the first body you found and piloting it with such skill that you emulate life while maintaining the benefits of your undead constitution. You joined Deepvein because of the instinctive will to become stronger that all undead have, hoping to grow more powerful. Either way, there’s nothing to fear in exposing yourself,”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Further from the truth than I expected, but still uncomfortably accurate. Still, reveal myself? If only they knew. Even if Hoplix wouldn't eagerly dissect me, no sane person in the city would suffer me to live. Actually, since I attacked Ashtrunk have I violated the terms of my agreement with her?
“After all, Deepvein already employs both! The Librarian is an oblex, a memory stealing mimic- and all of the administrative thralls are undead! You’ve already passed the test, proving that you’re not dangerous-”
That’s too much.
“Minutes ago I was trying to kill you. Am I such a non-threat that you consider me harmless?”
They seem slightly taken aback by me breaking my silence, but recover quickly.
“Of course! In order to incite you to violence, I had to interfere in your business, violate the sanctity of your body by using biomancy on you without permission, unbalance your brain chemistry, and then confess to doing so! You’ve demonstrated better self-restraint than most delvers. And if you’re determined to continue pretending that you are human, I can at least help teach you to pretend. In fact, if you’re determined to pretend that you’re a biomancer than I can at least teach you the basics. What do you say, Vreem? Join my little project, and I’ll help you maintain your disguise! All you have to do is keep your mind and soul separate, at least when not fighting! A damaged mind is interesting, but not what I’m trying to study right now. Deal?”
Ashtrunk extends a wrinkled, leathery hand out to me; and I can’t help but think back to the last pact I struck, with Hoplix. Somehow, this feels even more dangerous- and yet, I obviously need help- I didn’t even know my soul was wearing down, much less that my disguise was so flawed. And so, with my hand still dripping Ashtrunk’s blood from mere minutes ago, I take their hand and shake it.
Mark POV - about an hour later
Me and Kira are wandering around the elective fair, discussing options. So far Kira is dead set on taking ‘History of Solwick’ as her first elective, and I’m similarly determined to take ‘Advanced Runes’ as my first elective, neither of us are certain what to choose for our second electives. We’re walking and talking, idly looking at stalls for all sorts of electives, from Bounty Hunting to Monstrous Cuisine to Cultural Literature- actually, that last one sounds rather interesting. Alas, I don’t have time to mention it to Kira before I spot it- or rather, them. Over there, parting the crowd in the way only a pleasant smile combined with clothes dripping blood can. The smile looks… wrong, I suppose, on Vreem’s face. Him being pale, almost albino doesn’t help either.
“Kira, look over there; I think we found Vreem. Or rather, he found us.”
“By the Pinnacles, what did he do? How does he always somehow end up covered in blood?”
I don’t respond, because I just noticed the small red book he’s clutching. The title, seemingly burned onto the leather of the cover, is visible- ‘Being a Person; an Outsider's Guide to Society’ by Arick the Skinless. Suddenly, I have a very bad feeling about this.