The Lacqeur City was brilliant from a distance. Lamps encased with angled mirrors took the place of magic-powered ghostlamps, giving the city a warmer glow.

Soon they were at the main gate, and the guards asked them for their business. “We want to visit the library,” Danzenn said. Tolst cringed next to them, almost imperceptibly. Danzenn nudged him, just as imperceptibly.

“Right then. You know the Code?”

“Yes. No magic within the city limits.”

“Right then.” The guards lifted the oak barrier and pushed open the gates, allowing Danzenn and Tolst through.

“Why did you pick the place we’re actually going to tell the guards?” Tolst hissed once they were out of earshot.

“They were expecting me to say something different if I were actually a thief. They’re not going to be watching the library as closely now.”

“If you say so…”

The library was as massive as a church, but much more plain. For the wing that contained humanity’s knowledge of magic, they spared every extravagance, reinforcing the attitude that this was merely a courtesy — not anything to be respected or admired.

Danzenn didn’t waste any time appearing like they were browsing the library. They went straight for the magic wing. There was one guard at the arch, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. Danzenn signaled to Tolst before pretending to trip and fall. The guard, taken aback, moved toward Danzenn, and Tolst came up behind him deftly and dropped a small amount of oil on his neck. The guard quickly appeared confused before returning to his post. The confused expression stuck while he passively watched Danzenn and Tolst walk by.

“That’ll give us about twenty minutes, judging by his size. You know what you’re looking for, yeah?”

“I think so. Look, the lock on the door seems pretty modest. I was expecting more.”

“I don’t think these guys run a very tight ship.” Tolst got to work while Danzenn kept an eye on the guard.

Soon they were in, and Danzenn began scanning the authors and titles. Some were encyclopedias that probably mentioned the greybringers, but they needed the whole book on them, written by an old hand named Nhast Bellvont. Their proper name was in some dead language. Bellvont coined ‘greybringers,’ but Danzenn had a feeling this old language would be important. 

Supposedly, the greybringers didn’t even need Spiritbreak to happen to get to the material plane, it just wasn’t interesting to them until now. Danzenn hoped that wasn’t true. However they’re able to traverse planes, if true, is almost certainly a vulnerability.

“This has to be it,” Danzenn said, holding a book that looked like the Necronomicon on steroids. “Yep, can barely make out the name, but this is it. Pages look good. Hope none are miss—”

A horn outside droned while the guard that Tolst confused could be heard yelling, moving closer.

“Time for the fun part,” Tolst grinned as he and Danzenn darted toward the entrance, which was also the exit. “Ready to use some magic?”

“Fucking hell.”

* * *

Danzenn couldn’t produce fire that could melt even copper or tin.

They were a weak mage, and Tolst would have to carry most of the fight. Thankfully, Tolst knew this, and Danzenn was able to play support well enough for the two of them to get out of this mess. Hopefully.

A cloud of smoke from one of Tolst’s instruments immediately enveloped the area, and Danzenn added some static to help it disperse. The thump of magic-detection golems could already be heard, as they had been put on alert as soon as the guard blew the horn. Using magic at this point wouldn’t worsen their situation — in fact, they’d need it to get out of here alive.

Danzenn gestured to Tolst to cover his ears before creating a pressure pocket in the midst of the smoke obscuring the melee-ready assortment of guards, creating a deafening burst of miniature thunder. The strongest of men, unprepared, would be stunned for long enough for them to run out of the city. They’d only need to dodge the golems.

Tolst handed Danzenn a potion, which they chugged as they ran. They no longer felt their muscles as they pumped them — the illusion of stamina. This would at least propel them the hell out of here. They could rest when they got to safety. The hard part would be dodging the golems, for whom fatigue did not exist.

The golems shook the ground, their strides in time with Danzenn’s heartbeat, which they felt in their throat. Danzenn hazarded a glance over their shoulder. The things were three stories tall, their false eyes aglow in a bright blue, nearly white.

“We’re going to have to trip them, Danny,” Tolst said, barely panting.

Danzenn didn’t question it — in their panic they only had time to wonder why the Lacquer City would spend so much effort on these golems and not on the lock that guarded such an apparently important book. Plus, Tolst knew what he was doing.

“Nevermind, I don’t think that’ll work.”

“Wh-” 

Suddenly they were both in nets and tumbling into the dirt. 

“Fucking hell.”