Four months had passed since the Soul Gem was found, and Rix had blossomed under the tutelage of the Silk Fingers Guild members. Finn initiated him into the mysteries of ancient history, unraveling the secrets of Soul Gems in scribbled texts and faded maps. Rix learned about the legendary "Primordial Thieves," who supposedly found the first gems, and about the conflicts they had unleashed throughout the centuries.
Lyra refined his movements until he became almost invisible in the dim light, teaching him to use shadows as a cloak and to communicate with subtle, precise gestures. Grok hardened his body with relentless training, transforming the thin boy into an agile and resilient young man, capable of defending himself with a dagger or his bare hands. Elara taught him to observe details, identify patterns, and anticipate the movements of guards and patrols, turning him into a sharp observer.
One evening, while Rix was reviewing notes on the different types of Soul Gems, Master Silas summoned him to his office. The guild leader sat at his desk, the candlelight dancing in his thoughtful, honey-colored eyes.
— Rix, — Silas began, his voice as calm as ever, — the time has come for you to put your new skills to the test.
Rix felt a chill in his stomach, a mix of excitement and nervousness. He had trained for months for this moment.
— What needs to be done, Master? — Rix asked, raising his hand in front of his chest as he clenched his fist in a sign of readiness.
— There is a book, — Silas replied, his eyes fixed on Rix's, — kept in the Forbidden Library of the Order of Scribes. It's an ancient tome, they say, that contains detailed information about the origin of Soul Gems and their true powers.
The Forbidden Library was a legendary place in the City of a Thousand Vaults, a repository of secret and dangerous knowledge, protected by countless guards and magical traps. No rogue from the guild had ever dared to infiltrate it.
— Infiltrate the Forbidden Library? — Rix asked, surprised. — That's never been done before.
— Exactly, — Silas said, a slight smile curving his thin lips. — It's a risky mission, but the knowledge contained in that book could be invaluable, especially now that we possess Baron Varkos's Soul Gem.
— And why me? — Rix asked. — Wouldn't it be better to send someone more experienced, like Lyra or Kael?
— Lyra is on a delicate mission in the merchant district, and Kael is tracking an informant who might have information about the movements of the Thieves' Guard, — Silas explained. — Besides, Rix, you've proven to be a quick and dedicated learner. Your stealth has significantly improved, and your curiosity about the gems will be an extra motivation. You will go with Grok. He will handle the... less subtle part of the operation, if necessary.
Rix nodded, feeling the responsibility weigh on his shoulders. It was a great opportunity to prove his worth to the guild.
The following night, under the cloak of a crescent moon, Rix and Grok met in the outskirts of the Forbidden Library. The imposing building of dark stone rose like a monument to forbidden knowledge, its tall, narrow windows seeming to watch the city with empty eyes.
— Ready for this, kid? — Grok asked, with a big smile covered with excitement, which became unsettling alongside the eyepatch that covered his left eye. He carried a backpack filled with tools that looked small on his back, and a small mace of gray metal that gleamed in the moonlight.
— More than ever, — Rix replied, adjusting his new cloak that Lyra had given him, dark as the night, and with gray wave-like patterns resembling tentacles drawn on the hem.
They crept through the deserted streets, avoiding the few night patrols with the ease Rix had learned from Lyra. A passing guard looked into an alley as if searching for someone, but Rix scaled those walls so quickly that the guard thought it had just been a raccoon climbing the wall.
Then they finally reached the high walls of the library and, with the help of a grappling hook rope provided by Elara, silently climbed into the inner courtyard.
The courtyard was surprisingly quiet, illuminated only by the weak moonlight. In the center, a fountain maintained a constant sound of falling water. Rix surveyed the surroundings, looking for signs of guards or traps.
— Finn said the entrance to the forbidden section is in the basement, accessible through a secret passage in the main reading room, — Rix whispered, consulting a rudimentary map that Finn had drawn from memory.
They moved cautiously towards the main entrance of the library, where there was a massive wooden door reinforced with metal. Grok examined the lock with an experienced eye.
— This is gonna take a while. It's an Embush Architect-level lock, but it'll be fun, HEHE! — He spoke almost louder than he should, as he pulled two large tools from his backpack.
While Grok worked on the lock with his specialized tools, Rix kept watch, using his heightened senses to identify any sign of danger. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by the occasional clicks of Grok's tools and the distant cawing of crows circling the city.
Finally, with a satisfactory click, the door opened, and they entered the main reading room, a vast hall with shelves that stretched to the ceiling, filled with books bound in petropaper, the most resistant and expensive, yet durable. The air smelled of old paper and ink.
Rix followed Finn's map, guiding Grok through the labyrinthine corridors of the library. Rix was always impressed to see how agile and furtive that big, stocky man was. They encountered a few patrolling guards, but Rix managed to distract them with 'shadow stealth,' a technique Lyra had taught Rix to become invisible in the darkness, allowing Grok to pass the distracted guards.
They reached a discreet shelf at the back of the room, where, according to the map, there should be a secret passage. Rix examined the shelf closely, looking for a hidden lever or mechanism.
— Here, — he whispered, finding a small, almost invisible crack in one of the shelves. He inserted a small instrument Finn had given him, a sort of metal pawn that extended into a four-pronged key, and then twisted it.
With a soft click, the shelf moved aside, almost soundlessly, revealing a narrow staircase that descended into darkness.
— Looks like it's here, — Rix said, looking at Grok, satisfied and eager.
Grok nodded, his hand resting on the head of his mace, which was tucked into his belt. — Let's go down, but stay alert, kid. If the section is forbidden, there's a good reason for it.
Rix descended the stairs, carrying an oil lantern that cast dancing shadows on the stone walls. The air grew colder and damper as they went down, until they reached a narrow corridor with several locked doors with copper-colored handles.
— Finn said the book we're looking for is in the main chamber, at the end of this corridor, — Rix whispered.
They advanced cautiously, testing each door. Most were locked, but Grok managed to open a few with his tools. However, they found only more dusty books and parchments.
Finally, they reached the last door in the corridor. It was larger and more elaborate than the others, made of dark wood with intricate gold carvings of strange symbols.
— This must be it, — Rix said, noting the size of the door that stretched up to the ceiling, as a shiver ran down his spine.
Grok tried to open the lock, but it seemed more complex than any they had encountered so far.
— That's a Vault Lord-level lock, — Grok grunted, sweating under the effort. — It's gonna take a while.
While Grok wrestled with the lock, Rix examined the carvings on the door and recognized some of the symbols from the books Finn had shown him. They were ancient, linked to magic and the power of Soul Gems.
Suddenly, one of the symbols on the door began to glow with a faint red light. Rix stepped back, alarmed.
— Grok! Something's happening!
Before Grok could answer, the door burst open with a loud bang, revealing a dark, cold chamber. In the center of the room, on a stone pedestal, rested a book bound in black leather, its cover adorned with the same symbol that had just glowed.
But it wasn't just the book that was there. Before the pedestal, standing in the shadows, was a tall, thin figure, dressed in dark robes that concealed their face. Only their eyes were visible, glowing with a sinister red light, identical to that of the symbol on the door.
— Intruders, — the figure said, their voice cold and spectral, echoing through the chamber. — You should not be here.
Rix and Grok exchanged tense glances.
Until he remembered to stay calm and relax his body, as Lyra had taught him. Then, Rix gave a smirk, while taking out his silver dagger, greenish like dew under the moonlight.
— Alright, you'll serve as a test for my new combat skills.
"BRING IT ON!"