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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7627491" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 313</p><p></p><p>Bredan and Kurok made their way slowly up the stairs. Bredan was having some difficulty. He was exhausted and battered, his stamina flagging, but he tried not to let it show to his dubious companion. The other merely adjusted his pace to match Bredan’s. The hobgoblin was a cipher. He failed to live up to any of the stereotypes that Bredan had heard about his race, or the other goblinoids that he had clashed with since leaving Crosspath. Kurok was obviously intelligent; he had managed to conceal his true identity for months while in close proximity to races that would have probably stabbed him on sight, had they known what he was. Bredan had to admit that he’d been completely fooled, and could not deny that he would almost certainly be dead right now if the warlock hadn’t interrupted the doppelganger’s attack. But there was no way that he could trust him, not with what he now knew.</p><p></p><p>“A glow up ahead,” Kurok said suddenly, drawing Bredan’s attention back to the stairs. He cursed himself for not paying attention; the pale blue light was clearly visible, brightening what looked like another large chamber at the top of the stairs.</p><p></p><p>It took another painful minute for them to reach that destination. The room was another spacious vault, its ceiling supported by half a dozen pillars as thick through as he was tall. The pillars left the sides of the room hidden in deep shadow, but he could see that the stairs continued their ascent on the far side of the room from where they had entered.</p><p></p><p>The light was coming from a broad arch off to their left. After sparing another wary glance at Kurok, Bredan made his way in that direction. When he finally got close enough to peer through the open arch, he just stared in stunned surprise.</p><p></p><p>The chamber on the far side of the arch was familiar to him. His mind was catapulted back to the first time he had seen it, back in the Vault underneath Severon. That was where he received the mandate to come here, to find the book that was at the heart of everything that had happened to him since he’d left Crosspath all those months ago.</p><p></p><p>The low pedestal in the center of the room had been empty then, but the one here was not. Bredan had never seen the Elderlore Libram before, not even in his dreams, but he recognized it instantly. It was not that impressive, just a big, thick book bound between rigid covers trimmed in what looked like brass. It sat open, and the glow was coming from the pages, filling the room with a pale radiance. Bredan could just make out slowly shifting letters on the walls illuminated by that light, another evocation of the last time he’d been in a place like this one. But there was no need for another hidden message. The thing that he’d crossed half the world to find was right there, just a stone’s throw from where he stood.</p><p></p><p>He looked over at Kurok, who was keeping his reaction hidden behind a neutral mask. The hobgoblin sensed his attention and turned to look at him. “This is what you came here for,” Kurok said. “Take the book, leave it, or destroy it. The choice is yours.”</p><p></p><p>“What are you going to do?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>“I will wait for the others.” He reached up and made a gesture, and his features returned to those of the human sailor.</p><p></p><p>“If you harm any of them, I’ll kill you.”</p><p></p><p>“I have nothing to gain by doing so. I made my decision when I saved you from Drekkath. Now all I can do is see how my choice plays out.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan stared at him for a long moment before he stepped forward. As he passed through the arch he felt something, a brief tingle that traveled along his skin before dissipating. He continued forward for several more steps before he paused and looked back.</p><p></p><p>A translucent blue field had appeared within the archway. Through it he could just make out the outline of Kurok’s form, but even as he watched the hobgoblin turned and walked away.</p><p></p><p>“Bloody hell,” Bredan said, wondering if he’d just made another big mistake.</p><p></p><p>He considered the barrier for another moment before he finally sighed and walked over to the platform that supported the book. The pale glow enfolded him, and he let the light shining from his sword fade. He kept the sword itself in his hands. His arms were tired and the weight was awkward, but he wasn’t about to let himself go unarmed, here, not even for a few moments.</p><p></p><p>He carefully circled around the platform until he could see the exposed pages of the book. They were covered with a dense scrawl of complex script. He took a step closer to examine the writing. He did not recognize the language, but the words were still somehow familiar.</p><p></p><p>As he stared at the writing the words began to swell. Bredan started to draw back in alarm, but the glow coming from the book intensified until he could see nothing else. He covered his face with his left arm and tried to get away, but the brilliant radiance engulfed him until he could see nothing else.</p><p></p><p>And then, nothing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7627491, member: 143"] Chapter 313 Bredan and Kurok made their way slowly up the stairs. Bredan was having some difficulty. He was exhausted and battered, his stamina flagging, but he tried not to let it show to his dubious companion. The other merely adjusted his pace to match Bredan’s. The hobgoblin was a cipher. He failed to live up to any of the stereotypes that Bredan had heard about his race, or the other goblinoids that he had clashed with since leaving Crosspath. Kurok was obviously intelligent; he had managed to conceal his true identity for months while in close proximity to races that would have probably stabbed him on sight, had they known what he was. Bredan had to admit that he’d been completely fooled, and could not deny that he would almost certainly be dead right now if the warlock hadn’t interrupted the doppelganger’s attack. But there was no way that he could trust him, not with what he now knew. “A glow up ahead,” Kurok said suddenly, drawing Bredan’s attention back to the stairs. He cursed himself for not paying attention; the pale blue light was clearly visible, brightening what looked like another large chamber at the top of the stairs. It took another painful minute for them to reach that destination. The room was another spacious vault, its ceiling supported by half a dozen pillars as thick through as he was tall. The pillars left the sides of the room hidden in deep shadow, but he could see that the stairs continued their ascent on the far side of the room from where they had entered. The light was coming from a broad arch off to their left. After sparing another wary glance at Kurok, Bredan made his way in that direction. When he finally got close enough to peer through the open arch, he just stared in stunned surprise. The chamber on the far side of the arch was familiar to him. His mind was catapulted back to the first time he had seen it, back in the Vault underneath Severon. That was where he received the mandate to come here, to find the book that was at the heart of everything that had happened to him since he’d left Crosspath all those months ago. The low pedestal in the center of the room had been empty then, but the one here was not. Bredan had never seen the Elderlore Libram before, not even in his dreams, but he recognized it instantly. It was not that impressive, just a big, thick book bound between rigid covers trimmed in what looked like brass. It sat open, and the glow was coming from the pages, filling the room with a pale radiance. Bredan could just make out slowly shifting letters on the walls illuminated by that light, another evocation of the last time he’d been in a place like this one. But there was no need for another hidden message. The thing that he’d crossed half the world to find was right there, just a stone’s throw from where he stood. He looked over at Kurok, who was keeping his reaction hidden behind a neutral mask. The hobgoblin sensed his attention and turned to look at him. “This is what you came here for,” Kurok said. “Take the book, leave it, or destroy it. The choice is yours.” “What are you going to do?” Bredan asked. “I will wait for the others.” He reached up and made a gesture, and his features returned to those of the human sailor. “If you harm any of them, I’ll kill you.” “I have nothing to gain by doing so. I made my decision when I saved you from Drekkath. Now all I can do is see how my choice plays out.” Bredan stared at him for a long moment before he stepped forward. As he passed through the arch he felt something, a brief tingle that traveled along his skin before dissipating. He continued forward for several more steps before he paused and looked back. A translucent blue field had appeared within the archway. Through it he could just make out the outline of Kurok’s form, but even as he watched the hobgoblin turned and walked away. “Bloody hell,” Bredan said, wondering if he’d just made another big mistake. He considered the barrier for another moment before he finally sighed and walked over to the platform that supported the book. The pale glow enfolded him, and he let the light shining from his sword fade. He kept the sword itself in his hands. His arms were tired and the weight was awkward, but he wasn’t about to let himself go unarmed, here, not even for a few moments. He carefully circled around the platform until he could see the exposed pages of the book. They were covered with a dense scrawl of complex script. He took a step closer to examine the writing. He did not recognize the language, but the words were still somehow familiar. As he stared at the writing the words began to swell. Bredan started to draw back in alarm, but the glow coming from the book intensified until he could see nothing else. He covered his face with his left arm and tried to get away, but the brilliant radiance engulfed him until he could see nothing else. And then, nothing. [/QUOTE]
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