LSRO: Chapter 183 - Well-deserved (Patreon)

Finally! Okay so I'm pretty happy with the direction now. I'd screwed up logistics for the upcoming conflict with a few badly placed lines in the last chapter. 182 is now adjusted as well.

I hope you enjoy this chapter... It's in a much better place right now.

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Chapter 183

Well-deserved

Quinn held up a hand, stopping anything else Jasper wanted to say. “Wait, what do you mean it’s moved from its location? Is it moving by itself like they do when summoned, even though we can’t summon it?”

Jasper paused and genuinely seemed to think it over. “I’d assume, since you can’t summon it because the Library technically hasn’t restored its data of having owned the book, that it’s moving with someone. I mean, it can’t really know right now that it needs to come home, so to speak, right?” She closed her eyes and frowned for several seconds. 

“And how is it moving?” Lynx interjected. “Is it bee-lining for us? Or what general type of movement do you mean?”

Jasper shrugged. “It’s just not where it was. The sector has changed and you can’t pinpoint its movement on the map markers you set. Those are stationary.”

“And which book did you tether to again?” Quinn had heard it, but she needed to double check she wasn’t just catastrophizing everything.

“Ririn’s Dimensional Distortion Through Sacrificial Means.” Jasper answered promptly. 

Quinn sighed. She’d known it, and yet somehow she was still clinging to denial. “I thought so. That’s the book Kajaro has.” Her voice trailed off as she tried to go over the possible repercussions in her head. “Wait, so you only tethered yourself to the one then?”

Jasper nodded. “It was an on the spot decision thing.”

“How do we know the other books remained where they were then?” Quinn asked.

Lynx blinked, and Jasper imitated a goldfish for a second.

“Because...” Lynx started and then sighed. “We don’t. We can’t know that. We’ll have to track them again to find out their precise location when we’re ready retreive them.”

“Which is when?” Quinn asked, pinching the bridge of her nose and counting to three.

“Once all our memories and data have returned to fully functional.” Lynx said. 

She mulled that over for a few seconds. It wasn’t ideal. If this one book was moving around, what’s to say the others weren’t as well? Granted, she didn’t believe that Kajaro had more than one of the books left in his possession. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t easily gain access to the other two remaining ones.

“Is the book headed in the direction of the remaining two?” She asked suddenly, wondering if that’d help them narrow down intentions.

Jasper frowned, and sat down on the couch in a meditative position, her eyes closed, her slender frame almost lost in the plush seat. Her eyelids twitched several times and an aura of magic rose from her. Power that tingled Quinn’s every nerve, drawn to it like a moth and a flame. 

It was then Quinn realized Jasper was powerful, much more so in fact that Quinn had ever realized. She wondered if she could get the system to help her analyze people’s power levels since she hadn’t expected Jasper to be over 9000.

Being able to assess people’s magical extent before engaging them could only benefit her and the Library. She made a note to look into that affinity as soon as she had time. It had to exist.

But, anyway, as long as the book wasn’t necessarily moving toward the Library, Quinn held out hope they could figure out their next step before Kajaro and his little band of henchmen grew wise to the fact that they could track the book. Didn’t this give them some sort of advantage? 

With the severing of the book’s connections from the Library, however Korradine managed to do it, it gave the cahoots group, as she was now calling it, an upper hand. They had gained the ability to refine and master the techniques contained within without any danger of the Library reclaiming what belonged to it. At least until it got fixed.

Which they never expected it to.

“It’s moving somewhat closer to where the second book was located.” Jasper said, her voice sounding particularly tired... or, to be more precise, her voice sounded trancelike. “But I don’t think it’s headed there. I can’t get more than vague imprints from it.”

“This tethering you’ve done,” she started, still grasping at straws to figure out exactly what it was she was trying to say. “Just how did you attach yourself to the book?”

Jasper shook her head. “It’s not like an attachment, so it’s not something visual they can see or even feel. As an aside to the ritual, it lends me the sense for it, heightens and adapts my ability to sense the presence of the item I was tracking. Keep in mind, the whole tracking ritual was to locate a lost item. The books were lost, and this allows me get a minor trace read. But I can’t tell specifically where it is, only vague directions starting with where we initially discovered it.”

“And you’re certain they can’t feel you. That there’s no way for them to sense your not-attachment to it?” Quinn pressed, just to make sure they weren’t inviting any more danger by utilizing this specific set of lucky skills.

Lynx spoke up, however. “No, if it’s the type of tracing spell I think it is, and I’m certain it is, then it’s vague, one way, and barely of any use. To anyone not in our current situation, that is. Having an eye on the specific book we know Kajaro has in his possession could be very useful for us.”

“As in, like, an early warning system?” Quinn asked. “Something to help us know when they do head in our direction?”

“Why in the cosmos would they head to you...” but Jasper paused and shook her head. “Nevermind, I see.”

Lynx looked up with a frown. “Exactly. Eventually, they’ll get it in their heads that the only way to make Quinn disappear is to come here and do it themselves. Which is probably, logically, a sound sort of reasoning...” 

Quinn scowled and Lynx hastily added. “Not that I agree with them, but you can see where that might be a conclusion they’d draw.”

It was true. Quinn couldn’t pretend it wasn’t. But right now, it wasn’t a problem. And because it hadn’t got to that stage quite yet, they could all take precautions.

An idea began to form in her mind. “I’ll call Misha and see if we can’t beef up security just in case the inevitable happens sooner than later, and then we can discuss.” 

On command, Misha appeared right in front of Quinn, a disapproving frown on their face. At least, Quinn thought it was disapproving. 

“What can I do for you Librarian?” Misha asked, their tone slightly more clipped than usual.

Quinn frowned. “I needed to talk to you about security measures.”

“Oh.” Misha perked up a bit. “Sorry, I was in the middle of the store room inventory. There are several more delicate items I have had to juggle, and my attention was momentarily split. Our storage facilities have had to expand.”

“Are all the supplies you ordered being delivered as they should be?” Quinn asked, trying to be polite since she’d obviously interrupted something.

“Yes. People have been more eager than anticipated.” Misha turned fully to face Quinn, slightly robotic in their movements. “I am a little stiff right now, as I am running many processes. How might I help you with security then?”

“How possible is it for someone to say... storm the Library to lay siege?” 

Misha blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You know, if there were a group of enemies who wanted to lay siege to the Library, is there a way they could do that with all the security we’ve already put in place. You know, the whole scanning process after Tenejo?” Quinn couldn’t read Misha’s expression and it was making her nervous.

Misha frowned. “Those scans allow us to nip any trouble in the bud before it becomes a reality. Now, are you speaking theoretically, or is there a potential threat you have not yet briefed me on?”

“Theoretically for now, but it could become reality?” Quinn half said, half asked. “I just want to get ahead of things should it be necessary.

Misha sighed. “All of our golems are operational and with Halschius now taking care of the culprits we had in our care, it freed up the detail we had attending them. I will set the doorways to monitor our entrants on a more stringent basis. Is there something in particular I should be looking out for?”

The question caught Quinn off guard. Was there? Should they be looking out for something else? It wasn’t as if they were going to arrive and just attack them, right? They should have some forewarning. But in her book, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Any large contingents that could be related to one another. And anyone suspicious or from one of the potential delegations we’ve flagged?” It was a lame answer, and Quinn knew it. But it was all she had.

“Very well. I shall make the necessary adjustments.” Misha said, and then suddenly brightened. “Oh, I do believe Carafax is on his way to see you.”

“Oh, really?” Quinn asked, curious. She’d liked Carafax. “But how can he help us with this security thing?” 

To be honest, Quinn’s worry stemmed mainly from not being sure who she could trust in any given situation right now. She’d like to trust the aged slothilus and his friendly demeanour, but if she were a spy or a plant, then she’d be trying to win over everyone in precisely the most unassuming way.

Quinn kept running through all her mental exercises while she waited to hear what Misha had to say.

Misha smiled. Or it might have been a laugh, Quinn wasn’t certain. “He is almost here. I believe he can help Lynx and the Library with their recovery process.”

Quinn glanced at Lynx, who nodded imperceptibly, and then answered. “Sure. Why not?”

“Marvelous. I will leave you in his capable hands as I have many things to attend to, including increased security.” And Misha vanished.

“Do you ever get used to people just popping in and out?” Jasper asked incredulously, a huge grin on her face.

Quinn shrugged. “Slowly.”

“Who’s Carafax?” Jasper asked, moving closer, her curiosity practically glowing. 

“He’s a slothilus chronicler.”

But whatever else Quinn had been about to say was interrupted by a slight squeal from Jasper. “Chronicler? You’ve met one?”

Quinn blinked, not having thought it was too special a feat. “Yes. Should I not have?”

“It’s just they often keep to themselves unless they’re called on to testify. Sometimes you don’t even know they’re there.” Jasper paused. “What I meant to say was they’re in places you’d least expect them. As if they sometimes have an extra sense for knowing when they need to record some form of history or make a vital observation.”

“That sounds like him.” Except now she wanted to know if that was the reason he was in the Library this time to begin with.

There was a knock on the doorframe, and Quinn looked over. The lumbering slothilus with his beautifully quilled back gave her a big grin that made his upturned nose almost irresistibly boopable. She resisted the urge to do so only with great difficulty.

“Ah, Librarian.” He spoke slowly, distinctly, as he shambled into the room, tomes clutched in his hands. “I had been wanting to speak with Lynx if you would permit.”

“Most definitely,” Quinn said, her smile coming easily. 

Lynx waved him over to sit next to him at the conference table. One of the chairs morphed immediately to accommodate the slothilus’ more rotund form. It made Quinn wish everywhere in the universe was so accommodating, or at least capable of it. How much more pleasant would that make life in general?

“Tell me, Carafax, what is it you’ve managed to learn from our owls?” Lynx asked, leaning forward eagerly, the runes in his hair already speeding up.

Carafax spread three massive tomes on the table, a twinkle to his eye as the images in them came alive. “Well you see...”

But Quinn turned away and back toward Jasper with the odd sensation that to listen in would be to eavesdrop on memories that Lynx might not want to share. Manifestation though he might be, he was also his own person and entitled to some memory privacy.

“Shouldn’t we be...” Jasper asked, and her curiosity burned in her eyes.

Quinn shook her head and steered her friend out of the office, giving a nod to Lynx as she closed the office door behind her. Use the office as long as you need. She thought at him.

A wave of gratefulness flowed back to her, and she smiled before turning to Jasper. “This is private time for him and the Library... just because they do so much for everyone else, doesn’t mean we have the right to be privy to information that might be personal to them.”

“Ah.” Jasper said, her tone somber and eyes thoughtful as they headed toward the kitchen. 

“Let’s go get some food, and then my friend?” Quinn said... “I’m going to take a well-deserved night’s sleep.”

~~

Yay and now onto 184!!!

Thanks for all your patience.

Much love

KT