Chapter CXLII Visiting Tazi, and Setting out (Patreon)

Phyllis knocked on the door of the old dwarf the guildmaster had told her about. This Tazi might have what she was looking for, so she had come here following the directions she had been given. She had just rapped the door for the second time, when she heard a lock turning, and the door swung open. To reveal a wrinkled old dwarf lady, balanced on a cane. She looked Phyllis over, and then waved her inside. Saying “Today must be my lucky day?”

Phyllis frowned, “Excuse me? Lucky day?”

The old lady chuckled, “It’s not every day that someone marked by a dungeon knocks on my door.”

Phyllis stumbled.

“Don’t act so surprised. There is a dungeon in my lineage, although it’s so far back that I don’t benefit much from it. I can however tell when someone has been claimed as a mate by a dungeon.”

“You can?” asked Phyllis somewhat surprised.

The old dwarf nodded. “Yep.”

Then Phyllis thought of something and asked, “So why do you find it lucky that I knocked on your door.”

“Easy, few creatures are as good at guarding dangerous artifacts as a dungeon, except maybe a dragon. Although personally, I would pick the dungeon over the dragon any day.”

Phyllis frowned, not sure she liked where this was going. “Dangerous artifacts? Why mention one of those?”

The old dwarf shambled over to a locked cabinet, and proceeded to open it. What she pulled out was a rather distinctive bottle that anyone would recognize. A genie’s bottle. Phyllis had never seen one personally, but she had heard stories. She had also seen images of them in books. There was many a cautionary tale about the mystical creatures known as genies.

What was most well known about them was that they were wish granters. They were tricky creatures that twisted any wish they granted but that wasn’t all. Less well-known was that they didn’t wait for someone to make a wish. They could hear your heart's desires, and they granted you that in a twisted form. While also taking something you value away in exchange for that twisted version of your wish. They were mischievous as well.  It was little wonder that they all ended up sealed away in bottles where they could do no harm. Although occasionally some fool would let them out.

The dwarf handed her the jar, and she stowed it in her inventory. It would be safe there until she gave it to Misaki. Then she said, “I’ll keep it safe until I can give it to her then. Although I didn’t come here for some cursed jar. The guildmaster suggested you might have a book for sale that includes warp spells.”

The old dwarf nodded. “I do. I have several books that include warp spells.”

She shuffled off. Phyllis waited in the front room, and she came back with an older book. “This one however is the one I think you will want. It was my own personal spellbook, although as you can see I don’t have much use for it now. I can barely get around my own house, and my daughter wasn’t blessed with my talent in magic. Perhaps you will have more use for it?”

She blinked. Phyllis hadn’t been expecting this. A spellbook like this was rarely sold, it was often passed down through the family lineage. Tazi’s book likely hadn’t originally been hers, but had likely started with an ancestor. She just had to ask, but with her tongue rather tied she got out only one word, “Why?”

“Besides the obvious? Well I have this strong feeling that I was meant to give this book to you.”

Phyllis blinked, “Give?”

“Yes, give. Treat it well.”

Then before she could really wrap her head around what had happened she had been ushered out the door. Now holding the old spellbook, and with a genie sealed in her inventory. One thing was for certain that was the strangest encounter she has had in years.

Misaki and Phyllis met up not long after. The cursed dwarves had left Misaki to go pack. They intended to head to Bordertown as Kuwi had suggested. Phyllis still remained unsure what to make of that encounter with the old dwarf, but she handed the book and jar to Misaki. Misaki added both to her inventory, and listened as Phyllis relayed her experiences. After that was done, she asked “So how was the quest?”

Misaki pulled a gem out, and happily said, “It went rather well actually. Look what I got out of it!”

Phyllis only needed a glance to know what the object was. She smiled, and commented, “Well at least one of us had a good day.”

Misaki shrugged, and then said, “Lets visit the inn then, and we can set out in the morning.”

Phyllis nodded. It was late and they had been through a busy day. Hers may have taken a turn for the strange, but all things considered it was a productive day.

As planned, they set out the following morning. Just her, Misaki and Mira’s party. Misaki had spent a few hours last night studying the spellbook, and was ready to try using a warp spell. Something that would allow them to move more quickly than they would otherwise, dragging Mira’s party along. However, Phyllis had a feeling that they might prove useful.

Still, even with the warp spell, it was going to be a couple of days before they reached their destination. Although even without it, they would have been there in less than the time stated by the guild master. Misaki and Phyllis were both at higher levels than the average adventurer. Mira’s party was skilled and had also broken past that barrier, but they were still a long way from passing level one hundred. So with them in tow, it likely would have taken a couple of weeks to travel round trip. With the spell, Phyllis was confident they would be done inside a week. The quest wasn't that difficult either for their party