The library was in much the same condition as Raven had last seen it. The civith librarian was holding a book in one hand, pushing it onto a shelf. Only this time she wasn’t carrying a stack. A young looking minotaur was holding them instead, watching the lady’s every move.

  Raven walked to them rather than wait by the desk. “Hello Marigold. Is it alright if I head into the archives? I told them that I would share the repository information with them since it might help.”

  The small woman grunted, taking another book off the stack. “It will delay them regardless of the information gleamed as those scrolls will need transcribed anyway. But yes, it is part of the agreement with both the adventuring guild and the school that we will also see information from the repository.”

  When Raven got downstairs she saw three people hard at work. She hadn’t met the human before, a white haired gentleman who turned when she came down. “Can I help you?” He asked with an air of authority.

  The paracrest could see Ramjack give her a smile even as he continued to work on a page. His ears were fully perked and she knew he was listening. “The librarian said it was ok to run the repository today. I need to sample it and get the opinions of some [Chronicler]s in order to evaluate the sales.”

  “I’ll have you know young lady that I am the foremost professor of history at the Scholar’s Hall. I am in the best position to judge your find.” He set down his stylus as he backed away from the table, fixing her with steely blue eyes.

  She bit her tongue as she faced him, drawing out the first of the orbs. Tick and Ramjack continued working, giving her the impression that whatever this professor was doing here was not nearly as important. No wonder the head librarian didn’t object stronger to letting her come down with a ‘distraction’. “I found four of these. I need to know if they have the same thing on them or are all different. If they are the same then I can sell one to the school at a discount ad auction off the others. If they are all different though…”

  “I see. Yes, the school will want to make a bid for the knowledge alone. A record of something happening at the Amber Empire time period would be of extreme use to my studies. Now, get with it.”

  She peered down at th device, reaching out with her magical skills. She let her own magic touch and commune, brining the device to full life. An image, rather then trying to display against the curving sphere, spread out between them. It showed two hillsec talking.

  “Right amount certain?” One hissed.

  “Ratio confirmed. Production settled.” The other hissed back. Some of what they were saying sounded garbled. Of course, the ways people talked changed over time. If not for written records keeping words more consistent it was possible that even the words would have been too different to understand.

  “Designs from outsider look good.”

  “Fighting demons?”

  “Still up there.”

  Another figure approached, a talloni with strong muscles and small stature. “Work can begin. Keeping record?” They asked, looking between the taller hillsecs.

  “Affirmative. Outsider… core included.”

  The image flickered, switching to show schematics of something with a lot of gears. It was shaped like many people were, with two arms, two legs but no visible head. Raven knew from this picture alone that Jace and the guild of engineering would want it. More when the next scene dissolved into what looked like a built version of the schematic.

  There was a civith in the image working on the chest cavity of the metal creation. They were just sitting on a platform, tools clutched in paws as it dealt with such a delicate procedure. Two terrisians, one male one female, stood nearby. The female held the schematics that the male was looking down at.

  Another voice spoke from the sphere then as the image tilted slightly, showing the features of a paracrest. “Let future know, Emperor Amber-Bright’s demonic rule falls!”

  A chant of “Down with Emperor Amber-Bright!” Followed throughout the room. Raven’s caught the wide eyes of the professor. He gasped in shock even as the image faded.

  “This…” He sputtered, “This is the most important discovery in all of history!!” He reached out to the orb, causing her to draw it back. “No no, you must let me have it! This changes everything we know! There was always a rummer that the demons were the last emperor’s doing but no one wanted to hear it. I could only write a short speculation about it in my last book. This, this here is the proof!!” He started sobbing which made both Tick and Ramjack stop what they were doing to stare at him.

  “Professor…” Raven said gently, her sail high as she backed up a pace, “I need to check the other three, see if they have the same things on them. If they do my team is prepared to sell it to the college for cheap to further the cause of research. Please calm down.”

  The older man wiped at his eyes. “Young lady, I have been laughed at before of my theories of Emperor Amber-Bright Forestsinger was a bad man. Most of the records of him were lost. The burning of the cities was laid at the feet of the dragon.”

  Raven was not nearly as familiar with ancient history as she would have liked to be. “But wasn’t there mention of a tyrant?”

  “Yes, and most think it was the dragon. Of course the records don’t seem to be clear if they mean a giant dragon or a man or something with the power to switch sizes.”

  “The outsider.” Ramjack cut in, now facing the two of them, “The one the record was talking about.”

  “What do you mean young man?” The professor asked. Raven wasn’t sure what he meant either.

  “Can you play it back?” The youth asked, turning to her.

  She reconnected with the repository and soon the images flashed into the air again. The same discussion. Mentioning an outsider and designs. “There!” Ramjack called out, “The one who brought the designs for the robot thing.”

  “Robot?” She was not familiar with the word.

  “Uh, metal man.” Ramjack corrected, “That would fit with an outsider, one with knowledge of technology from worlds like mine.”

  That earned him a look from the professor. He was studying the young librarian with interest. Raven cleared her throat. “Now that you have seen a sample of these I need to check to see if they are all the same. I know you’re excited. Now, do you know how to use one of these?”

  The man took his eyes off the zagariean and nodded. “I have worked with them before young lady. I might not have the reservoirs of magic that one such as yourself possess but I have worked one before.”

  She carefully handed it over to her before pulling the second from her bag.

  ——————

  I watched Raven in her efficient work, but knew the moment she left that professor Remmic was going to grill me. I saw that look in his eye. It was almost a relief when each sphere, when tested against the first tried, showed the same things. That didn’t surprise me since they seemed like basic depositories from back home. Something used to back up your private knowledge from other devices. I had something like that embedded in my desk that I worked with when writing.

  I resumed my own tasks as the paracrest put the rest of the devices away. She had agreed to leave one with Remmic and issue an invoice to the college at a discount. Before she left she patted my shoulder and said softly in an ear “I’ll see you on your next morning off.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I could feel the tingles all over my body even as she headed up the stairs. A goofy smile pulled at the corners of my mouth as I wrote down letter after letter. The work might be tedious but my mood was quiet high. It wasn’t until I’d finished another shelf set that the professor demanded my time.

  “So, you’re from elsewhere are you?” The man asked, still holding the orb in hand. I hadn’t heard any noise from it as I’d worked so he must have found more visual only records or something. I don’t think he’d done any more summarizing of the scrolls.

  I sighed, wishing I hadn’t said anything about the video. “Yes. I’m the only one of my kind to have arrived here, from the look of things.” It was one thing to talk about where you came from with friends, and on a date. I could already tell this was going to be more of a grilling.

  I didn’t want to take away from my work, but I also didn’t want a cranky many constantly trying to talk to me so I submitted to his questions. A few minutes of it at least. Telling him where I was from and a bit about my people. In the end I promised if he was still interested after he published his new Amber Empire book I would sit down with him.

  After a few minutes of trying to copy the first scroll of the next shelf I sighed and peered over at Tick. Usually the terrisian was very controlled, very focused on her own task even when she talked to me. Now she was looking past me at the professor, who was still fiddling with the orb.

  ~He is quite unprofessional~ She clicked softly, the words just as soft in my head.

  “I think he’s quite obsessed with the empire and its fall.” I whispered back, sure my voice was too low for a human to hear.

  ~You are not of the empire and yet he kept asking you questions~

  “Oh,” I focused on her eyes, which were on me now “I, well, maybe it is because I know of the machines like that? Or maybe because he has proof that the person involved in the fall was from the outside?” I didn’t know if that was the case either, but I had the feeling he did.

  ~Do not let him bully you. You have a right to your privacy~ She actually patted my shoulder before returning to her work.

  ———————————————

  Raven brought one of her remaining orbs to the Adventuring Guild. She was calm this time after learning what was beyond that door her party had been unable to open. A stasis controlled room of treasures, and several demons. There was a section for testing where they had been contained and broke out. That door was a seal to keep them in stasis.

  At least the Dacathus guild hall had been willing to wait once given the information. They had let another team try their luck with the door in the time she’d been gone but they’d also had no luck. Now they were pulling the quest so they could find more powerful teams who were up for the risk. Demons were no joke. While some were little more than a nuisance, sometimes more powerful kinds got loose from objects and places they had been tethered to.

  While monsters and the undead were the normal for old ruins and dungeons, demons were the true potential threat. A single undead or weak monster could be taken care of by a normal person with the right skills. Guards could repel them too. Demons though, that was what adventurers were needed for. Training and powerful weapons made the difference when it came to those things. The embodiments of chaos.

  She was glad not to be the one to deal with this mess as she sat down at the table with Mazen. He was looking more animate each day and had even been discussing something with Jace while she’d been talking to the quest master of the guild.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting boys.” She teased, no longer feeling burdened by her findings.

  “Not at all.” Jace assured with a big grin, “Was telling Mazen here that the Guild of Engineering could build him a new hand. It will take time but they can do it at cost as a favor to me seeing that we’ll be working together from now on.”

  “Sticking with the adventuring life then? That’s great Jace.” She’d thought he was going to leave the team after their payout.

  “Yea well, I want to uncover more. I’ll get more experience finding some of the old inventions like what we found in that bunker than trying to invent it on my own. Speaking of which, are you selling one of the orbs to the Engineering Guild?”

  “That’s the plan. The fourth can go to auction but I’m not discounting the Engineers. We could use that money for better equipment since we’re sticking together.”

  “And his arm.” Jace gestured at Mazen, who lit up at that. “Like I said, can’t let my new pal here run around with just a hook.”

  “I’m sure a functioning arm will cost more than the sword I already have planned.” Mazen informed him, taking a sip from a bowl of hot broth. “And the hook is just fine for now. Might even be an advantage on some quests.”

  “Hey, even when you get a mechanical one you can still swap it. You’re going to be at an advantage some way.”

  Mazen shook his head. “Just cause it’s useful doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to have a real one. Can’t feel anything with it after all.”

  Raven reached over and patted her friend’s shoulder. “Keep that in mind Jace,” She turned her eyes to meet his, “When you go thinking about replacing body parts with mechanicals.”

  “Yea, I know. Not planning to do that on purpose. But hey, the designs of the mechanical golem will be enough to make for a much cheaper alternative to an enchanted arm.”

  “I thought magic was still involved in such things?”

  “Well, it can be but not like the fully enchanted replacements the rich adventurers get over in Varcalis. Those things go dead if you get into an anti-magic field. No, what the guild might be able to make with what they know now will just lose some function in a field, but still be able to use it to swing a sword or open a door. If Mazen is the test case and being that he’s on our team, well the Engineering guild said at cost since it will be a prototype.”

  “Still likely to take months to test, fit, and fully build.” Mazen contributed before draining his bowl.

  “And the sword attachment?” Raven asked.

  “Next week. Found a blacksmith who was eager to do it at a price that didn’t completely bankrupt us.”

  “Good.” Raven let out a sigh of relief. “It will still be a bit before we get paid for the last two orbs. And we need to send the sisters their share as well. We could use another small job in the meantime so we can keep a roof over our head.”

  “The boarding house seems nice enough. A lot more crowded than that hotel but much nicer.” Mazen smiled.

  “I’m up for a job too.” Jace pitched in, “Something potentially safer then going into a bunker with a burrowmaw. I still have bruises from that fight.”

  “I’ll see what they have then.”

  ———————————————

  I rubbed the back of my neck as I walked in the door that night. Thanolin was at the stove, making his usual pot of rice and fried fish. Bibbel was at the table, arranging some of his fermented root vegetables and spicy dips on a plate as he waited on the rice.

  “Ah good evening young Ramjack.” The professor called as I sat down, stretching my body as much as I could. I felt like I had been standing hunched over my writing too long.

  “Evening.” I yawned, weariness replacing much of the stiffness in my joints.

  As the rice and fish were served I looked around the table at my companions. “How well do either of you know Professor Remmic Voss?”

  Thanolin sat down, turning his big eyes on me as he cut into his fish. “Oh, professor Voss. Specializes in history, especially the fall of the Amber Empire.”

  “Kind of a jerk.” Bibbel cut in before our landlord could continue, “I never liked his classes. Had to take them since the Amber Empire is important to the rise of the Guilds.”

  “I wouldn’t put it in quiet those words but yes, professor Voss enjoys going on tangents, doesn’t like to be challenged, and will run with any scrap of evidence and say it proves his theories and his only.”

  “He claims he doesn’t like speculation in papers, just facts, then spouts his unsupported theories.”

  “Uh,” My eyes kept flicking between the two of them, “He’s been working with us down at the library as of late. Got real excited today when Raven came in and showed off the content of the magic repositories. Said it proved his theories?” I was not sure how they would take it.

  “Oh dear.” Thanolin looked up at the ceiling, “He’s going to be more insufferable then.”

  “Which theories?” Bibbel asked, “the ones about the last emperor going insane, which most people agree with anyway or the one about how demons destroyed everything?”

  “Well, the bunker those adventurers found the records in turned out to be a group opposed to the emperor. They were on record saying that the emperor was the one to summon the demons in the first place.” I dug into my own fish as Bibbel nodded his own head.

  “Great. I remember researching for the paper I had to write that it was a dragon who came along and crushed the cities. Set fire to them as the guilds organized survivors and kept them safe. I know I cited that the dragon fought the demons but I got mad when he marked it down.”

  “I read something like that in the fall book. But no dragons were mentioned in the recording I watched. It spoke only of an outsider who gave them plans for the metal army.”

  Bibbel snapped his finger, “Oh right! It was a dragon and metal army and demons. They broke the cities. At least according to the research I did.”

  “Giant metal golems,” Thanolin cut in, “Yes. It was never clear which side the dragon was on. Only that people made the giants to fight the demons. It was debated whether or not the emperor had called the demons or had been taken over by them. Poisoned his mind and took over his body.”

  “I think you told me this story before,” I managed a small smile even as my stomach twisted with the new information. I was getting a picture now about what might have happened. An outsider, some race of dragon, had come here. They knew how to build robots and taught people how in order to fight demons. I had read in books about the dragons known to this world. Most were big and solitary. Sometimes they were smart and had magic of their own. Others more like dangerous beasts.

  “So tell me young Ramjack,” The professor went on, interrupting my thoughts, “Just what did you see in these records?”

  I spent the rest of dinner before the aulterun had to go off to his night class talking about what I’d seen. The recordings of the people in that bunker that had been played for us. Professor Voss’s reactions to them. It left me feeling more uneasy to the point that I had to force myself to finish eating. I couldn’t even say why, just some kind of silly premonition.