Xenonight2

Hedge descended the stairs slowly, with his back to the wall. He let his right arm feel ahead, and his left hand stay on his dagger's hilt. With each step, Hedge's heart pounded faster and louder. Despite the cool underground, his temples were beaded with sweat. His nose flared, and breathing came easy and slow. As always, Hedge was outwardly calm, but his mind was racing and jumping at every odd noise.

It felt like ages, but Hedge finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. The door was closed, which was not how he left it. Hedge opened it, and the creak of the rusted hinges rang out like a bell announcing his arrival. Everything was dark. There was not a sound or a speck of light to be found. Hedge's night vision had adjusted enough just to barely see the mounds of books, undisturbed.

Hedge walked through the doorway.

There was a flash of red, and every single torch and candle in the room burst into light. Hedge yelled in pain as the dagger he was still holding suddenly became extremely hot, and his sword burned through its belt. His weapons clattered to the floor, all of the metal steaming and red. He could not see it, though, for his eyes were closed to stop the sudden burning of light.

"I could have killed you," called a familiar voice. He recognized it as the Loremaster's. Hedge opened his eyes, and could see a figure walk from behind a mound of books. It was the Loremaster for sure, but he was in the Librarian's clothing. Of course! The Loremaster was disguised as the Librarian. No wonder the Librarian was so dirty, and always spoke in hushed tones. "I decided against it, though, when I realized that you burned the History of the Arbitrarium." The Loremaster walked up to Hedge, a fire in his stare. "Do you have any idea how much that book was worth? More than this entire Library, more than this entire pitiful plane of Jarr. That was one of the ORIGINAL copies, you fool!" The Loremaster was yelling.

Hedge just stared back blankly.

"Good, you know when to keep your mouth shut," sneered the Loremaster. "You know why that copy was so important, don't you? This one was even more important since it had information about the Deus Ex Machina that no other copy except for the original had. I had to get that information! Oh, yes, it was I who contacted YOU. You didn't contact me, like it seems. Who was the barman that told you about the Loremaster's interest in the Arbitrarium? Who was the beggar that was an old librarian? Ha!" The Loremaster took off his glasses, which had no lens. They were just wires.

"I thought you were a Loremaster, not a Runemaster," said Hedge quietly.

"When you have been in this world for two hundred years, Jakalin, names and titles lose their meaning."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Tell me what you found."

"No."

"Boy has a backbone now, eh? You're a bladesman, you are useless without your weapons." The Loremaster said, as he put his hand on Hedge's shoulder. Hedge glanced down at the Loremaster's hand and saw a red tattoo. "Ahh, you see those? Let me show you," The Loremaster rolled up his sleeve to reveal a long tattoo of squarish shapes and lines running from his wrist to his shoulder. "That," said the Loremaster, with pride in his tone, "will blow off your arm in one word."

Hedge stared at the Loremaster incredulously.

"I am a Runemaster," said the Loremaster, "I do not threaten, I promise."

It was hard for Hedge to keep his calm demeanor. The Loremaster was not bluffing.

"Gods, what do you want from me?" Whispered Hedge, fear evident in his tone.

"That's more like it," said the Loremaster, smiling, "I want a service."

"A service? What kind?"

__________________