Re: The Grand Battle [Round Six: Library of Lies!]
01-27-2010, 10:57 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.
Aeon walked through the dusty library, pondering what had happened so far. It was really a bit of a paradox, trying to destroy the demon. I don't think it was possible to destroy the demon without inadvertently leading to Nathan's death. Maybe Emily knew this. Maybe not. He paused to survey his surroundings. The bookshelves extended farther than the eye can see both forwards, backwards, and upwards—he had to either find a better means of transport, or find a different course of action. Choosing the latter, Aeon paused and examined the bookshelf to his right. It's amazing the amount of information in here. He looked upwards, and saw a book that piqued his interest, entitled Tetraspace: a Comprehensive Guide to the Higher Dimensions. The book was high up, far from reach. Strange. With shelves so high a ladder or something should be expected.
As if on cue, Aeon saw an approaching object in the distance. He stepped backwards, and a sliding ladder stopped directly in front of him. Strangely, although the ladder moved at extraordinary speeds, it seemed to neither pick up any dust nor make any sound, and its movements were highly fluid. That, and it only had two rungs: one at Aeon's knee-height and one at his shoulders. Aeon climbed onto the rungs, and they slid upwards and slightly to the side, placing him in a perfect position to grab the book. He did so, and carried it under his arm.
Aeon pondered going back down, and the rungs slid down accordingly. He then had a better idea. He looked towards his left, concentrating on an arbitrary and indeterminate book far in the distance. Surely enough, the ladder began to slide and accelerate, and soon Aeon was zooming across the shelves at a tremendous speed. Strangely, he felt no inertial force and felt no wind as would be expected from such a quick acceleration. But, as the past few hours have shown him, Aeon expected nothing less from the personal library of the Director.
***
The Director and three remaining Gentlemen were seated at a circular table, and the Director began to speak.
“It has come to my attention that…†the Gentleman known as Drake gave a near-invisible flinch, “…the situation in this battle has become impossible to ignore. The relations between the three remaining contestants are too well-established, and intervention is necessary. Furthermore, the current battlefield has been changed from the one we had planned.â€
“To what?†one of the Gentlemen said.
“The current battlefield is set to the Library of Lies. Now, as you all now, there is some material there that we simply cannot allow to come to one of the contestants' possession. I could teleport them to a different battlefield, but I have decided that, in order to kill two birds with one stone, a different course of action will be taken. I hereby grant you three the permission to directly intervene in this round and this round only. You may choose how to intervene as you wish.â€
Two of the Gentlemen stood, and immediately transported to the Library without further discussion. The one remaining—one known as Ari—had further issues to discuss.
“Yes?†the Director said, his expression entirely nonexistent.
“I have found an intruder to this battle. This person is presumably on a search party for one or more of the contestants, and is currently following the teleportation chain set up by the previous rounds.â€
The Director was visibly irked.
“I… would like permission to deal with this intruder myself, and no further complications will be made.â€
“Granted.â€
***
She did not expect the second teleport to send her underneath a pile of rubble. Nevertheless, this was certainly the location where he went and the site of a battle, and she began to clear the pieces of broken house. It was an excruciating process, and she mumbled to herself as she dug through. At last, she pushed aside a piece of wall support and climbed out. Her relief was short-lived—her exit was greeted by a strange man, standing silhouetted in the moonlight.
Aeon walked through the dusty library, pondering what had happened so far. It was really a bit of a paradox, trying to destroy the demon. I don't think it was possible to destroy the demon without inadvertently leading to Nathan's death. Maybe Emily knew this. Maybe not. He paused to survey his surroundings. The bookshelves extended farther than the eye can see both forwards, backwards, and upwards—he had to either find a better means of transport, or find a different course of action. Choosing the latter, Aeon paused and examined the bookshelf to his right. It's amazing the amount of information in here. He looked upwards, and saw a book that piqued his interest, entitled Tetraspace: a Comprehensive Guide to the Higher Dimensions. The book was high up, far from reach. Strange. With shelves so high a ladder or something should be expected.
As if on cue, Aeon saw an approaching object in the distance. He stepped backwards, and a sliding ladder stopped directly in front of him. Strangely, although the ladder moved at extraordinary speeds, it seemed to neither pick up any dust nor make any sound, and its movements were highly fluid. That, and it only had two rungs: one at Aeon's knee-height and one at his shoulders. Aeon climbed onto the rungs, and they slid upwards and slightly to the side, placing him in a perfect position to grab the book. He did so, and carried it under his arm.
Aeon pondered going back down, and the rungs slid down accordingly. He then had a better idea. He looked towards his left, concentrating on an arbitrary and indeterminate book far in the distance. Surely enough, the ladder began to slide and accelerate, and soon Aeon was zooming across the shelves at a tremendous speed. Strangely, he felt no inertial force and felt no wind as would be expected from such a quick acceleration. But, as the past few hours have shown him, Aeon expected nothing less from the personal library of the Director.
***
The Director and three remaining Gentlemen were seated at a circular table, and the Director began to speak.
“It has come to my attention that…†the Gentleman known as Drake gave a near-invisible flinch, “…the situation in this battle has become impossible to ignore. The relations between the three remaining contestants are too well-established, and intervention is necessary. Furthermore, the current battlefield has been changed from the one we had planned.â€
“To what?†one of the Gentlemen said.
“The current battlefield is set to the Library of Lies. Now, as you all now, there is some material there that we simply cannot allow to come to one of the contestants' possession. I could teleport them to a different battlefield, but I have decided that, in order to kill two birds with one stone, a different course of action will be taken. I hereby grant you three the permission to directly intervene in this round and this round only. You may choose how to intervene as you wish.â€
Two of the Gentlemen stood, and immediately transported to the Library without further discussion. The one remaining—one known as Ari—had further issues to discuss.
“Yes?†the Director said, his expression entirely nonexistent.
“I have found an intruder to this battle. This person is presumably on a search party for one or more of the contestants, and is currently following the teleportation chain set up by the previous rounds.â€
The Director was visibly irked.
“I… would like permission to deal with this intruder myself, and no further complications will be made.â€
“Granted.â€
***
She did not expect the second teleport to send her underneath a pile of rubble. Nevertheless, this was certainly the location where he went and the site of a battle, and she began to clear the pieces of broken house. It was an excruciating process, and she mumbled to herself as she dug through. At last, she pushed aside a piece of wall support and climbed out. Her relief was short-lived—her exit was greeted by a strange man, standing silhouetted in the moonlight.