Diana looked towards the voice and saw a young woman with lavender hair so long that it nearly touched the wooden floor. She also wore a purple-and-white striped outfit reminiscent of pajamas and a purple mob cap with a golden crescent moon emblem pinned to it. The young woman glared at Diana with clear blue eyes and a frown that let the blonde mage know that she was not welcome here. The woman herself boasted a magic signature that was as strong as Diana's own, indicating that despite her curious appearance she was a mage of considerable power.
"What business have you here?" The purple-clad woman asked harshly.
"I am here to search for a tome written by Statriole, a scientist who wrote about magic-" Diana began to explain before the woman raised her hand to cut the blonde off.
"So you are yet another thief who seeks to pillage Sombras Manor. As the librarian charged with protecting and bringing order to the library of the Sombras family, I cannot let you steal the tome of Statriole. You will die where you stand before you gain entry to the library." The self-proclaimed librarian asserted before putting her hands out in front of her to focus magic for a spell. Her hands began to glow in the seven colors of the rainbow and she began to murmur words in a language Diana had never heard before. The threatening undertone in the librarian's words and posture were all too clear, but Diana was here for a payday and she would not be deterred by harsh words and a fancy light show. She would fight if she had to.
"I am no common thief. I was hired by a collector to retrieve the tome for their collection." Diana asserted. The librarian's face maintained a serious facial expression as she inquired further.
"So you fancy yourself a high-class thief?" The lavender-haired mage asked. Diana frowned and a thought crossed her mind. Maybe it would be easier to just shoot the hostile librarian until she died, then go and collect the tome at her leisure. However, Diana did not kill someone because they inconvenienced her. She was a professional who killed only the target she was assigned to kill.
"No. I am a hired mage working on behalf of a client." Diana firmly insisted. The librarian then asked another question of the blonde.
"Who is your client?" Came the question. Clear blue eyes stared at Diana while impatiently awaiting an answer.
"I am sorry, but I cannot tell you that. That is confidential information." Diana answered politely but firmly. The young woman maintained eye contact and kept the spell she was weaving ready as she momentarily halted its progress to speak to the blonde intruder.
"Interesting." Came the terse comment. Diana kept her weapon ready as the two women faced each other down. Diana waited for the spell to be launched and the librarian waited for the blonde to open fire. After a tense two minutes the lavender-haired mage lowered her hands and dispelled the magic that had accumulated in her hands. Diana then dispelled her Suppressed Submachine Gun to de-escalate the situation.
"You say that you are here for the tome of Statriole. Perhaps I can be convinced to part with it... should you perform a service for me." The librarian said to Diana in a businesslike tone. Diana was intrigued by this development and wanted to know more about the bargain that might be made. What kind of "service" did the librarian want in exchange for Statriole's
magnum opus?
"I am listening." Diana replied calmly.
"Very well then. Here is what you must do. Roughly fifteen years ago an intruder stole a book with a brown cover from me, a book of immense personal value. I know that it is somewhere within the manor, but as the librarian I cannot leave to find it." The librarian began to lay out the terms of the bargain.
"Should you find it and bring it to me, I will let you have what you seek with no strings attached. However, I must warn you of the danger that lies ahead. The spirits and other denizens of the manor will not be as accommodating as I am. They cannot be turned from their duty to protect this place and will do their best to kill you." The young woman warned Diana. The blonde was not daunted by the warning because she had been through worse situations than this. It did not take long for the mage to make her decision.
"Very well. I will find your book." Diana agreed to the bargain. The librarian cracked what could almost be considered a smile before speaking to her again.
"The spirits of the manor tell me that you are a Child of Death. Your kind can be quite dangerous under the right circumstances. Perhaps you will have a chance to survive the trials that lie ahead. Perhaps the spirits were mistaken and you are just another run-of-the-mill thief for hire. I will find out soon enough." The lavender-haired mage said to Diana before the latter turned around and brought out her Suppressed Submachine Gun, then began walking down the staircase while listening out for the rotting welcome wagon waiting for her on the second floor.
[Word Count: 920]
[Total Word Count: 4,984/11,000]
- The Librarian: