Hunter, Juggernaut, Assassin, Warrior (DNF)

If Books Could Speak, Would They Lie?

((TW // panic attack ))

It was a bold move, even for Clay, asking George to dance like that, flirting with him like that. But Clay couldn't ignore the warmth he felt when he held George in his arms, the happiness he felt seeing George smiling like... well like that! But regardless of any such romance, Clay was here on a mission and nothing else. No one could stop him. Not even George. 

Once he had left the main ball room, Clay ditched his armor. A lost party guest would be more believable than a random guard whose armor didn't match. He remembered these walls like the back of his hand. Quickly he fled down the corridors, making it to the first staircase within a few seconds. With each step Clay took, more memories flood back into his mind. 

Growing up in the castle was bliss. How he and Sapnap ran down these same halls after being caught doing something mischievous. Or like when Clay and his baron Bad walked these very corridors, recounting every law and policy the kingdom had. Rushing down the stairs, his footsteps became quicker and quicker. 

Clay was running. Being back here, being back home was too much for him. How was he supposed to lead when being in these very walls made his stomach turn? It was in these walls that his parents died. It was in these very walls that his sister never saw her tenth winter. When he made it to the second staircase, he came to a sudden halt.

He threw his gaze over his shoulder, looking down the way he had just came. No doubt his hunters would have discovered his presence and was already on his tail. Clay swallowed back all of his uncertainty and flew up the stairs as quickly as he could. 

When he reached the top step, Clay lowered himself into a crouching position, allowing him to sneak around more effectively. He peered into the loft area and spotted Ranboo coming out of the large doors that lead into the Library. He was holding books as he left, he turned around and locked the doors before disappearing into one of the other side doors. 

After Clay was sure Ranboo was in the room, he went forward. He approached the door, Clay pulled out a  slim knife and a lock-pick from his pocket. As quickly and as quietly as he could, Clay slipped both items into the tiny space that was the keyhole. Counting the seconds, Clay moved the lockpick around, listening for a soft click. Once he heard it, he softly turned the knife, with in turn turned the lock. Clay lowered his tools down and pushed open one of the doors, slipping inside with fair ease. 

The sweet smell of paper and ink flood Clay nose with a sense of calmness. A gentle flickering of candles danced aimlessly upon the masses of books that sat on the shelves. It truly was a massive room. It consisted of two floors. The first floor being the biggest. A set of twin staircases hugged then walls as they climbed to the second story loft area. There was a fireplace, currently empty of any fire, a few tables and chairs. Curiously enough, a thin layer of dust had settled over most everything. Clearly, Ember wasn't one for reading.

But Clay knew her written words would be here. The library was next to the Court Wizard's quarters, a place Ember spent most of her time in Clay's youth. He knew she would have placed her work here, in the grand library. 

The massive windows that lined the walls were covered in a thin veil of white, obstructing the natural moonlight from entering the room, even though there wasn't much moonlight as yet another storm rolled in. He heard the quiet cackling of thunder of in the distance, but the gentle tapping of rain against the window filled the otherwise silent room with pitter-patter. 

Clay allowed himself to relax a bit, he lowered his shoulders and rolled out his neck. He inhaled the fumes of the old books and dust and he went on his way. He knew her writings would be kept safe, maybe on display in a glass case or something. It wasn't much to go on, but it was all the man had.