Library of Rain

Ady’s Path

Rain dismissed the messages about Ady’s new skill and class and offered a hand to help the poor woman up. Ady, for her part, was on her hands and knees, dry-heaving after her violent experience with the book she had selected.

“Are you satisfied with the power you’ve gained?”

Ady didn’t answer and instead let her arms collapse, leaving her resting on her knees and forearms, the tattered book she’d read discarded beside her. Rain simply waited for her to get her stomach under control. 

“That was awful.” 

Rain couldn’t deny that it looked very unpleasant. She wasn’t sure exactly how the book had imparted its knowledge, but the way Ady’s eyes bulged as she read looked both unpleasant and funny. After Ady finished reacting to whatever the book did to her, she started muttering to herself. Rain naturally listened in.

“I did it. I have a class now. I actually have a class, and they can't turn me away now!” 

Ady started chuckling to herself and muttering under her breath. Rain leaned so she could hear what the girl was saying.

“Revenge, revenge, revenge, revenge…”

When Ady looked up, she had a fierce grin and tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, Lady Tyix. With this, I’ll be able to free my father and protect the city!”

Rain was a little concerned about Ady. She wasn’t sure how much of this was corruption and how much was Ady. Still, Ady’s choices were her own. 

“I fulfilled my end of the deal.”

And Rain had. When the contract had been sealed, Rain had felt a cage form around her soul, ready to exact the penalty if she failed to hold up her end of the bargain. But now her part was finished the cage had shattered. Rain was free of any punishment. 

“What is the name of your class?”

“I am a Spear Maiden!” Ady stated as she rose to her feet.

Interesting. Rain knew that the warrior class House Orom controlled was a general class for melee fighting that didn’t focus on any specific weapon. She wondered if Ady’s spear maiden class would give her more powerful and specific skills.

“Spear Maiden Ady, my first task for you is to drink this.” Rain said, holding out a small vial containing a drop of her blood and river juice mixed in water. 

Ady drank the vial without question, and Rain felt the burning in her soul rise to a searing pain as she connected to Ady. Why was using that skill so much more painful than her other skills?

“Good. Now, if you want to punish Commander Bartel yourself, I won't stop you, but if you would prefer, I can help you use him to save your father.”

Ady looked at Rain for a moment before asking. “What do you mean, use him?”

Rain grinned from ear to ear as she answered. 

“Remember how you almost signed a deal that could force you to do things you wouldn’t ever do otherwise?”

Ady’s eyes widened at the question as she understood what Rain was saying.

“Do you promise to make him pay?”

Rain gave a slight nod.

“Then what do you need me to do?”

Rain withdrew another vial of the river-blood-juice and handed it to Ady.

“Make sure he drinks that.”

***

Rain left Ady’s home amid a thick downfall of ash. She could warp straight home, but she wanted a few minutes to think.

Everything had gone well today, and the contract seemed to be working. That made it worth the pain that constantly tormented her now. But she needed to be careful. Something as powerful as the contract could be just as bad as ‘Artisan of Abominations.’ She would need to make sure she didn’t cross the line when she used it. Perhaps she should make a set of rules she should never cross. Could she sign a contract with herself?

But enough of that. Rain had lowered her corruption to 14% and had plans in motion to reduce it more once she trapped Commander Bartel. That would have to be good enough for now. Rain needed to learn about the coven. The message from Mr. Purple said she had a little over two days before it started. 

Turning to a random door, Rain used her skill to enter her library. 

Rain still had two charges of Libraien’s search left, but she should check that the earring worked before she used them. With that in mind, Rain went to her hoard and retrieved the earring from where it sat next to the flask that Blondy gave her, along with her most prized treasures. 

Holding the earring between her thumb and forefinger, Rain pushed her power into it and summoned Ms. White. When the shadow was ripped from Rain, and the veil of apathy fell over her, Rain was surprised to find that it also made the pain recede. That feeling of numbness was pure bliss to Rain’s frazzled mind. 

“Congratulations on creating a magic item.”

So, it was considered a magic item. Good to know. 

“Thanks, Ms. White.”

Ms. White’s light void smile widened as she looked at Rain.

“Are you ready to uphold your end of the deal?”

“I don’t know. What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to provide me with a human body. I want to experience life as a mortal and to explore the mortal world.”

For a moment, Ms. White looked almost human as she spoke longingly of seeing the mortal world despite her voice of screams. 

“How would I make you a body?”

That was the real question, and Rain had no idea how it would work.

“The book you already have is all you need. Find a human, any human, and crush their soul, then let me take their body. It's simple enough.”

And like that, Ms. White stopped looking very human as a cruel smile split her face.

“I won’t kill someone just so you can have their body. That's wrong, and I don’t have to do anything against my conscience. That was part of our deal.”

Ms. White just laughed at that, a sound like death itself.

“I’ll wait, child; your conscience won't last long.”

“We’ll see.”

Rain wanted to say she wouldn’t ever do something wrong, but she was already sparing the Estoms while hurting other bad people. All because sparing them was better for her. A twisting feeling in her gut told Rain that Ms. White was right and she wouldn’t have to wait long.

“If you don’t want to change your request, then I need you to lead me to information.”

“Then ask little human, and I will fulfill my purpose.”

“I need to know about the coven of the Zimir.”

“The Zimir. Very well, follow me.”

Ms. White floated out of the hoard room and towards the shaft, Rain following behind her.