Chapter 217 - Spooky Scary Skeletons (Patreon)

For the second time today, I summon the arcane tech pistol into my hand. Every step I take toward the mysterious clattering noise is careful, full of purpose, and as quiet as I can make it. The sound travels throughout the library, echoing ominously as it moves out of sight. While I can’t be entirely sure, it sounds like footsteps. The only thing is they can’t be human, and they don’t sound like someone wearing armor, either.

Part of me wants to head straight towards the exit and retreat into the hall, but I’m feeling more daring than perhaps I should. I follow the bitter coldness hanging in the air closer and closer to its source with a tightened grip on my weapon. As I draw nearer, the coldness grows a secondary quality. It feels ‘wrong’. Like whatever it is, it shouldn’t exist, and it bothers me that I instinctually know this.

The wrongness is now in the next row over. Taking cover behind the towering bookshelf, I brace myself for a quick peek. Doubt clouds my mind now that it lumbers just barely out of view. My body can feel it. Whatever’s making me feel like this, it’s coming from something magical. This cold reminds me of the sickening aura I sensed around Opalina or the depressing negativity I feel around Zutiria whenever she casts her dark spells, but different. It definitely feels more like Zutiria’s magic than Opalina’s if I had to compare the two.

The clattering sound makes its way from the end of the aisle towards the middle of the row. I decide to make myself known once more, saying, “Is someone there? I’m a guest of Duke Gloomcrest. Please, say something.”

In response, the sound stops dead in its tracks. This silence persists. I wait, sweat pooling on my palms, for some sort of response to my questioning. There is nothing. No clattering, no rattling, no sign that they’re even still present other than the telltale pervasive magical aura that gives me goosebumps.

After waiting for just a few more moments, I make the decision that this has gone on long enough. Whatever’s lying in wait in the middle of the bookshelves can’t be worse than not knowing. As I clench my arcane tech weapon for whatever comes next, I leave my cover and turn around the corner to look upon the mysterious presence.

I freeze in place once I lay eyes on it. My mind is unable to immediately process the horrific sight. Only ten feet away from me, a large skeleton covered in a ghastly green glow pokes around the nearest shelf as if it were pointedly looking for a specific book. It stands on two legs, but it’s no human- or any other species that I can recognize. The skeleton has a stretched face with four large fangs poking out from a massive set of jaws, curved lower legs that bend forward like bows, and a robust ribcage. Its arms are busy tracing the packed bookshelf, but once it notices me, it retreats from the shelf that it was working on and shifts its posture, bending over and standing firmly on all fours.

Seeing it from this new angle puts it into perspective for me. I’m almost sure that this is the skeleton of a big and powerful bear- seven feet tall at least. I watch its movements carefully for the first sign of aggression, but curiously it just stares right back at me, studying, thinking- if it even has the capacity for thought like this. This awkward staredown continues until the skeletal bear opens its jaws and somehow makes a grunting sound despite its lack of vocal cords. Magic, I know. Still somewhat weird.

After making noise at me, it goes back to ignoring my presence and then takes a clattering step forward. The skeletal bear noisily walks closer and closer, yet I no longer feel threatened by it. Now I’m only curious. I relax my posture and wipe the sweat off my brow. I’m not stupid, though, and I keep my gun out in case anything goes wrong.

Fortunately, the skeleton notices a shelf to my side and passes me completely to check it over. It pokes what used to be its nose around as if reading the spines on each book before grunting again, using its front paws to pull out a selection of about five books all lined up together, then takes them all in its massive jaw. With a hefty amount of reading material packed and ready to go, it gives me a courteous nod and turns away, glistening green energy trailing behind it as it starts making its way down the aisle.

My curiosity forces me to check the section it just took books from, and I’m glad I do because what I learn makes the situation reach even greater levels of bizarre. The bear just walked away with a mouthful of self-help books. The row that it took its load from is littered with tomes along the lines of ‘New People: They Don’t Have to Be So Scary’ and ‘Just Talk! A Guide to Conversation for Awkward Weirdoes’.

I think it’s safe to conclude now that this thing doesn’t mean any harm. Now that the danger has passed, my interest in this absurd situation spikes. What in the Realms was that? I know it’s magical but is it a naturally occurring arcane creature, or is it the product of a spell? If it was a creature, then it’s not anything I’ve read about in any of my books, and if it were a spell, then it would have to be necromancy, wouldn’t it?

Really, I shouldn’t be so surprised given everything else I’ve seen in Castle Mourneheart. A resident Necromancer would fit right in these dark, stony, cobweb-infested halls. Perhaps this partially reanimated bear belongs to the Court Mage Opalina is currently meeting with? Xothan, I believe his name was?

Of all the schools of magic, necromancy would have to be one of the ones I know the least about. While not ‘forbidden’, it’s certainly a darker art. Its practitioners are rare, and books about the subject are scarce. Like most topics, my knowledge amounts to what I’ve read in porn which is mostly just busty necromancers reanimating armies of sultry zombie girls hungry for semen. Not surprising, but the truth is stranger than fiction.

It may be nosy of me, but I decide to follow this skeletal bear to wherever it’s heading. I’ve got the time, and this has my attention, so I put away the gun and follow after it as close as I can while still keeping a safe, respectable distance.

The bear leads me past a few different hallways before finding one of the many suits of armor donning a raven helmet. It raises one of its front paws, activates the hidden mechanism, and disappears into the shortcut. From there on, the bear starts ascending through the network of magical stone staircases lit by scarce torchlight until we both emerge in a familiar area- the hallway where the Duke, his daughter, and Opalina’s bedrooms are.

Sure enough, the reanimated skeleton walks all the way up to the large door of the young Lady Gloomcrest and bows. Its snout touches the doggy door installed, and in response, the structure becomes big enough for the massive bone bear to walk straight through. The doggy door shrinks, leaving me with more questions than I know what to do with.

I suppose I could look for answers by knocking on her door, but I don’t know this girl, and I feel that would be terribly rude of me. I’m sure Duke Gloomcrest wouldn’t appreciate an unexpected gentleman visiting his daughter, either. All this beside the point that the bear was delivering books about how to deal with speech anxiety to the young Lady.

Disappointing. This is going to be on my mind until I find out what’s going on here. Was the bear a pet? Is the Duke’s daughter an honest to goodness Necromancer? Perhaps I can ask Opalina about-

“Dear? Why are you staring at Abigail’s door?” Opalina appears behind me, emerging from the shortcut with the telltale clicking of her heels on rugged stone.

“I’ve been told there’s a girl behind it, and I was considering how best to inevitably add her to my harem,” I turn around to face the old witch with sarcasm.

“Careful. The walls are thin, and you might give someone the wrong idea...” She giggles before tightening her expression. “Really, though. What happened?”

“There was ... well, what used to be a bear.”

“Ah.” The Doctor laughs and nods her head matter-of-factly.

“Just ah?”

“Yes, I’m aware of where this is going.” Opalina smiles. “You saw one of Abby’s pets, didn’t you?”

“I suppose I must have. Odd choice for a pet, unless... is the Duke’s daughter a Necromancer?”

“Yes. Talent for dark magic runs heavy in the Gloomcrest bloodline, and there was a time in her life where the young Lady needed a push down the right path. I was there to do the pushing. So, I made her into something of an informal apprentice of mine.”

“I see. Then, are you a Necromancer?”

“I’m a lot of things, Dear,” She smiles a mysterious smile while opening up the door to our suite. “Come along now. We’ve time for another round of fun before supper. Dealing with that asshole has left me in the mood to bully you a bit more, so count yourself lucky.”

I still have all sorts of questions on my mind, but for the time being, they’re irrelevant. After shrugging my shoulders, my inexhaustible dick rushes me to follow after Opal for whatever sort of fun she has in mind.