Kings Game

Chapter 37 - Akanos the Librarian

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Nul shifted, trying to force their eyelids open. They needed to wake up, to get moving, but their body was so tired. It was hard to keep their eyes open and they were so comfortable. Nul tried to remember where they were and how they got there. Slowly, memories came back to them, memories of a massive claw made of smoke dragging them down into a bottomless tunnel.

With a grunt of effort, Nul flooded one of their etchings with energy, making their body feel hot and cold at the same time. Adrenaline flooded their system and Nul forced themself into a sitting position. They groaned as a shudder ran through their body. The etchings that improved alertness were tolerable at best, the side-effects leaving them tingly and a little numb.

Rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, Nul climbed to their feet. They were in a large pile of cushions. The cushions were old and covered with dust. Above them was the bottomless shaft that apparently ended in a comically large pile of pillows and futons. The walls around the pile were covered in etchings. Stumbling over to the wall, Nul took a moment to examine the marks etched into the stone.

"Inertial dampening...These were here to catch me."

At the end of the room was a hallway. Their body slowly coming back to life, Nul staggered out of the room and through the hallway. There was a bright glow at the end that pulled Nul forward. The light was enticing, like a visual siren song, calling Nul towards it.

The hallway opened up into a massive dome. Lights hung from the ceiling, blinding Nul. The top of the dome was several stories up with a large crystal hanging from the center. All throughout the dome were rows upon rows of bookcases.

The center of the dome descended down in tiers, much like an auditorium or a lecture hall. At the center was a golden orb on a dais. The dais was made from smooth crystal and shone bright enough to hurt Nul's eyes. Small stones flew in lazy circles around the golden orb, while silver focus markings crawled along its surface.

The orb called to Nul, urging them closer. They stumbled down the steps, tripping and almost falling in their haste. Reaching the dais, they found the crystal smooth and warm to the touch. The light invigorated them. Nul climbed up the dais, reaching a hand out to the orb. The stones paused in their orbit, making way for Nul.

Pushing forward, Nul reached out and gently caressed the orb with their fingertips. There was a flash of light, blinding Nul. The stones dropped out of the air and the crystal dais went dark. Nul paused, staring at the orb and blinking.

"What am I doing?"

This was stupid. Nul had run headfirst into an obvious trap. They had ignored everything around them, focused solely on reaching the orb. The drive to move forward had died in an instant and Nul felt sober again, as if their actions hadn't been their own until only a moment ago.

Glancing around to ensure they were alone, Nul bent to retrieve one of the stones from the floor. It was covered in etchings, all of them now cold and dead. Pocketing the stone, Nul reached down and ran their fingers along the dais.

"Fairy rock." The dais was huge, larger than any single piece of fairy rock Nul had seen before. "What sort of device needs this much power?"

"Godspells are hungry things. They require much energy to activate and work."

A man stood at the top of the steps, staring down at Nul. He was old, his body sagging from the weight of his years. His head was bald and smooth while his brows and beard were made of wiry white hairs. He smiled, the gesture softening the wrinkles around his face.

"It's been a while since I've had company. What do you think of my summoning orb?"

"Who are you?" asked Nul. The burns had limited their combat capabilities but they could still fight in a pinch.