"Where are we taking it? This place is huge, and anywhere we set up is going to attract a lot of attention that we don't have the power to stop," Yorela said. She didn't sound remotely against the idea, just unsure of how to do it practically.

"We can take it all. I wasn't originally planning to, but things have shifted on how much we can haul with us. All of Smithtown is going back to Earth now, and it's probably best you two do as well. We won't be able to pull the books out of storage for a while, but at the very least, we will know they are safe with us," Elody replied, clapping both of her fellow librarians on the back.

"I can't imagine your order is going to be overly happy about this, but I'm on board. Things were always bound to fail here anyway, without a faction backing the archives, eventually someone was going to get tired of our independence," Yorela replied. I was having a hard time telling if Elody and her were friends or not. The banter suggested they didn't hate each other, at least.

"If one of you ladies could show me to the administration office. We are on a deadline, and I'd like to get started," Pryte said, walking up to the three of them.

"Now that's interesting. How did they get you and Elody working for them, Pryte? I won't claim I talked to Dave much when he was last here, but that seems like a pretty big swing for someone like him," Yorela replied, smiling down at Pryte, with strangely hungry eyes.

"Yeah, I was hoping to be a bit more discreet on our past, Yor, but I'll explain how I got here if you show me the way." Pryte's eyes swiveled to the ground as he replied, and I could swear I spotted him blushing. I don't know exactly what I had expected on this trip, but running into one of Pryte's exes was not remotely one of the possibilities that had entered my head.

"That, I didn't expect," Elody said, echoing my thoughts.

Quarilyn erupted into laughter. "Not everyone is quite so uptight as you, El. Wait, you don't have all these newcomers thinking all Olkerfins are like you, do you?" I heard Alex giggling behind me as well.

"I don't mind playing catch up, but Pryte was right, we are on a timetable. Mel and Timon are getting our escape ready, so we need to figure out the best way to get all these books to them. And where are the dungeon cores?" I said, before pivoting to the cores. As much as I wanted the books, the cores had to be a priority too.

"You really want to take everything, El?" Quarilyn asked, two of her eyes staying focused on me.

"If possible, yes, at the very least I do want everything from the sublevels," she replied.

"Then we need to take the new dungeon out of the picture, turn everything back on, and see if we can't reverse the automated retrieval system into loading the books onto the transport fleet," Quarilyn said.

"How big of a problem is the dungeon?" I asked. If they had kept it limited to a vault, I imagined it wouldn't be that bad, but I had been in a small dungeon here before, and it hadn't gone great. Without Elody, we'd never have had a chance.

"We don't go into the vault, so hard to say. We've just been stopping any mana beasts that try to form outside it," she answered.

"Alright, Connie, the brothers and I will handle the core. Everyone else stays up here and helps these two with whatever they need. Can you turn our library cards back on so we can access the vault?" I asked, after laying out my barebones plan. As much as I wanted Elody down there with us, she'd be better here getting things working, and I'd much rather Alex stay here with Maud and John.

"Yes, I'll have them enabled momentarily. Take the elevator down to sublevel seventeen and head for vault two. I'll make sure you have access," she replied. I nodded before turning back and around and trying the elevator. She really had meant momentarily, as it came to life for me this time.

"Almost feels like old times again," Cecile said as the doors slid shut behind us.

"Yeah, but we've added a singing dwarf this time," I said with a smile, not wanting to offend her.

"Hey, I can play instruments too, and I'm not bad at poetry!" Connie yelled, with fake offense in her voice, as the door opened. Her words spread out into the dark basement, echoing back at us.

I shuddered slightly as we moved past the door. The memories of the first time I had stepped foot in these basements returned to me. The weird man who had stabbed me in desperation to take my mana orbs, only to later find himself the victim of a dungeon core, wasn't a thought I enjoyed. If it hadn't been for enhanced senses, the pressing current darkness would have weighed even stronger on those memories.

Stolen story; please report.

"This place has certainly gotten creepier since the last time we were here," Elicec said as a ball of fire appeared hovering over his hand, casting a shadowy red light partially around us. It did nothing to help the feeling of discomfort that had been growing since the elevator door had opened.

"Looks like the vault is over here. Despite what those librarians might think, based on the vibes I'm getting out here, be ready for a fight. That core has grown pretty strong." As Connie said this several spectral instruments appeared floating around her.

"Let me try to talk it down before we fight, and I only want to kill it as a last resort," I said as I pulled up a chat window.

>Dave: You two ready for this?

>Alpha: Yes.

>Beta: Are they a potential new recruit for the Empire or an enemy?

>Dave: Both, but hopefully we can sway them toward the first. I have a feeling that may be easier said than done, though, so let's just try to take them alive for now.

>Gamma: You heard Dave!

I pulled both Alpha and Beta from my storage at the same time I read Gamma's message. Gamma was doing well so far on this excursion. I had had my concerns, as I wasn't sure any core would be able to handle the stress I put on Corey, but they were proving themselves more than capable.

"Dave, the moment we spot the core, try your thing, but everyone else focuses on the hostiles. Take down any mana beasts it has in there, and then if we have to, we can force remove the core itself," Elicec said, looking at each of us as he spoke.

Connie reached out and spun the wheel that kept the door sealed. It screeched as it rotated, the area around the door popping free the moment the wheel halted. The door immediately was ripped inward, vanishing into a darkness my eyes couldn't seem to penetrate. The light from Elicec's fire died at the threshold.

"I don't like that," Cecile said.

"No, you should not! You fleshbags dare to lock me away, use my power for your games, and now you come to my lair! I shall feast on your bones!" the new voice cut deep into my skull as it spoke. The force behind the words made me question everything for the briefest of moments.

"Hey, do not be mean!" Gamma's voice rang as their form appeared next to me, snapping me out of the mental turmoil that the core's words had caused.

"Look, I know what happened to you wasn't ideal, and I know this whole existence thing feels weird, but as far as I know, you haven't done anything remotely problematic yet, so why don't we talk instead of fight?" I asked into the darkness. I could still feel the pressure of the voice in my head. My own words had done nothing to clear that.

"Why do you feel different human? Are you even a human, or are you a core?" the voice asked.

"I'm not entirely sure anymore, but why don't you stand down and release whatever it is you have in there. We could talk more about what I am after that," I replied. I didn't think it was working. It hadn't released Connie or the brothers from its hold yet. And while the probing felt weaker, I was sure that had more to do with Gamma than it did my diplomacy.

"I will consider it if you come in here, without the other fleshbags. Bring your enslaved cores and yourself before me and talk. Do you have the courage to face the darkness I was forced into?" it replied. I sighed, did I? Considering how this encounter was already going, I wasn't sure it was any more dangerous to do so, but I wasn't the only one this decision affected.

>Dave: Thoughts?

>Alpha: No like.

>Beta: They could be a very strong recruit! The Empire needs strength!

>Gamma: I do not disagree with either of them. This core reminds me of me before I met you all, and I was not sane. I am not sure I have entirely recovered from that yet. It feels much stronger than I was, though. If you enter, you need to guard your mind. I will do my best to protect you, but I am not as strong as Corey, and I very much wish they were here.

>Dave: You and me both, Gamma. Since none of this is the core's fault, we are going to try this. But Alpha, Beta, do what you need to make sure we all go home.

>Gamma: Always!

I closed the window and stepped into the darkness. The presence of the dungeon pushed down on me stronger than anything I had ever felt. The will of the core probed at my brain like tentacles trying to wiggle their way inside. It was like when I had first met Corey, but the presence behind it felt dirty somehow.

The door slammed shut behind me.

Olkerfins share many similar traits with humans and elves, and generally can pass for either if their second set of eyes are covered up. Interestingly, while most species come from universes with other species, though usually far spread out, and often all are represented somewhere in the Spiral, Olkerfins always seem to come from universes where they are the only truly sapient beings. Considering the capabilities of their second set of eyes and how easily they integrate into mana flows, it has been theorized that these two things are linked, but as to how, that has yet to be discovered.

Olkerfins A People by Relna

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