《Lissanda's Deal》


 Chapter One: Dear Mother and Father

    Chapter One: Dear Mother and Father.


    Dear Mother and Father.


    I hope that this letter finds you in good health and high spirits, except of course for Father, whom should not be allowed near even the mildest of spirits or alcoholic beverages under all but the most dire circumstances.


    I am pleased to tell you that my studies at the illustrious Feltersgate College are going rather well. The curriculum has certainly picked up from the previous years, and I can''t wait to show off all of the new skills I am learning to my brothers when I return home in a few months.


    It feels like years since I last saw you, and I am eager to hear how you all have been in my absence.


    Yours Truly;


    Your loving daughter Lissanda deGrave.


    ''There, that should satisfy them for now.'' I thought.


    Sending a child to attend the Feltersgate College of Arcanic Arts is a significant investment for anybody, but especially so for two merchants as relatively insignificant as my parents were. I never hear a whisper from my parents about what exactly it costs for me to attend, but I know a rough price range from casually eavesdropping my various classmates, and it makes my knees weak every time I think about it.


    How could I ever hope to explain to my parents that I''d unwittingly squandered my hopes of ever graduating the moment I''d arrived at my first class in her first year? I was supposed to be the family''s best, brightest, and most capable. I was the one who would spread the name deGrave far and wide across the land. Lissanda deGrave, legendary Arcanist, slayer of demons, protector of the Empire, Archmage Supreme. Everything I''d ever dreamt of being.


    All hopeless. Doomed to forever stay a dream. All because of my stupid classmates with their stupid heirarchies and their stupid political games. They were sixteen years old for heaven''s sake! All anyone ever seemed to talk about was who was marrying who, sorry, whom. Or whomst or whatever! I was done! I''d had it up to here! I couldn''t do it.


    My five year old self would be scowling at me now, I was sure. Becoming an Arcanist has always been my dream, ever since Father first read to me the tale of ''Wizard Erky and the Whispering Wood.'' Mother had scolded Father for even telling me that story, and admittedly it was not the sort of bedtime story that you''d read to your typical five year old, but it had captured my imagination. I wanted to ride the winds like Wizard Erky, to twist space around me and disappear. I wanted to learn the secrets of lost peoples, exploring abandoned temples and forbidden fortresses. To know the inner workings of reality itself, and to bend it all to my will!


    I was not your ordinary five year old.


    Like most childish dreams, I grew out of it. Mostly. These days I realize that most of the world map has been filled in, what were once secret paths have now been beaten into roads by the footfalls of all those who came before. In a way I felt cheated, like a world I was promised as a child turned out to have never existed. Yes, the dream itself died, but my lust for knowledge never faded.


    Even as I debate to myself the merits of simply dropping out of college now, and saving my family half a year''s tuition fees, a part of me knows that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn the secrets that I''ve always sought.


    That''s why, after much meandering, I inevitably wound up in the same place I always did.


    The school library.


    "Good evening Miss deGrave." The on duty assistant librarian greeted me with a small bow. There had to be thousands of children attending the College, and it wouldn''t be possible to remember each of them by name, the fact that he did a testament to how frequently I visit this dusty old place.


    The librarian''s words gave me pause, but a quick glance through a nearby window showed that yes, it was in fact nearing sunset. Gosh! It couldn''t have taken me that long to write out one measly letter! I''d started writing but a few hours after lunch! It was only a small card! Well, whatever, I''m here now so I suppose I should make the most of it. Besides, I can check if Granny Gertrude¡¯s third edition has finally arrived!


    "Miss deGrave, I cannot help but notice that you do not appear to be in possession of a book." The librarian continued, pointedly looking at my hands, which were entirely void of any form of literature. "More specifically, a certain copy of one ''Wandering Diary of Malabe the Mischievous''. I don''t suppose you''ve left your study room door open again?".The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The exasperated tone of the librarian was really quite unfair. The Wandering Diary was well known for its, well, wandering. I was by no means the only student who''d misplaced the book throughout the years! Plus it considered the library its home, and more often than not simply found its way back here after a time.


    Thankfully though, today I had come prepared! Unslinging my satchel and placing it in front of me, I pulled the tome out with exaggerated care, before placing it in front of the librarian. He looked at the book carefully for a few seconds, before his hand lashed out like lightning and slammed down onto the book right as it began, with no apparent outside force, to slide towards the edge of the desk. He shot me a dirty look, and carefully picked up the book.


    "Careful Janis", I couldn''t help but tease him a little bit, "I know you just think I¡¯m careless, but that copy''s got a bit of attitude." Janis scowled at me, though whether it was because of my teasing or because he didn¡¯t like me using his first name, I couldn¡¯t tell. Either way it made me feel better.


    "Please," he eventually scoffed, opening the book and idly flipping through the pages, "The Wandering Diary is child''s play to manage compared to some of the tomes we keep in here. I''d have to be pretty incompetent to lose something like this." Ouch, that was one time! I guess he really is in a sour mood today, usually he''s just pretending.


    As if it had heard what he''d said, and had decided to show everyone exactly what was what, the Diary suddenly slammed shut in the Janis'' lands, flung itself across the room, landed near one of the many rows shelves, and started sliding its way down the aisle at a brisk walking pace.


    "Child''s play huh?" I said flatly.


    Janis, for his part, seemed completely baffled by the book''s behaviour. He sat watching the book go for a moment, before a light seemed to go on in his brain. "I should probably go get that." he muttered before calmly standing up from his desk, turning a little sign over so it said "Ring bell for assistance", and then, apparently satisfied that everything was in order, broke into a sprint in the direction of the diary.


    I couldn''t help but feel a little bad at Janis'' misfortune. Despite how we talk to each other, I''d actually consider him to be one of the closer friends I''d made since coming to this dreadful place. While technically, as he was a servant of the college, I had the authority to order him around, I still didn''t feel very comfortable doing so, for any of the staff in fact. Most of my classmates never bat an eye, but they''ve all grown up with butlers and maids. I had a Nanny, and boy let me tell you; the pits of hell would freeze over before she took orders from anybody.


    There was a cry from down one of the isles, a different one to the one that Janis ran down, followed by a heavy thud which sounded suspiciously like a tall stack of books hitting the ground. Moments later, the accursed diary literally flew out of the aisle, dropping out of the air to land back on Janis'' desk, exactly where I''d originally put it.


    I gave the diary a long, critical look. "You know, you''re not the only copy of the Wandering Diary I''ve encountered. For sure you''re a tricky book but I''ve never seen one so... dedicated... to causing mischief."


    The book did not reply, for it was a book and had no mouth. It did, however, do a backflip. Rising off of the table and somersaulting in the air before coming down again with a thump. This, I think, spoke volumes more about the book''s temperament than could possibly have been conveyed with words.


    Suddenly, Janis reappeared from the aisles. "Where is that fucking book!?" He spat, wildly scanning the room. His eyes fell to his desk to see the diary lying there, and you could almost hear the ¡®AHA!¡¯ as his eyes lit up. The Diary almost appeared to be trying to act innocent, in how still it was laying.


    Janis dramatically extended a single finger at the book and inhaled deeply, preparing to speak. The rest of the world seemed to fade away into the background, and I found all I could focus on was that pointing finger, and the words of power he was shouting.


    "LISSANDA IT''S RIGHT THERE GRAB IT QUICK!" he bellowed.


    The shout from Janis startled me out of my daze. Having been caught unawares, I turned and panickedly looked for the book. I looked at Janis. Janis looked at me. I looked at the book.


    The book was gone.


    To the sound of rustling paper we both watched in dismay as the diary once again took off down another isle, leather-bound covers flapping like wings.


    Janis walked over to me, his face passive. "Why didn''t you grab it?" He asked, not a trace of anger in his voice, which was scary because I knew exactly how vexed he''d be getting.


    I sheepishly looked away, "I... err... I thought you were going to cast a spell. Like to hold the book in place? Stop it from moving?"


    Janis just shook his head and sighed, shoulders deflating. "Oh well, it''s just one book. Not the end of the world."


    I gave him a surprised look, "Huh, usually you''re absolutely pissed when you don''t get your books back. Doesn''t the Head Librarian get upset about it?"


    "Yeah," he said, "Mrs. Serikutt doesn¡¯t like it, but this is a library and things like this happen. I mean, how angry can she get about losing the Wandering freaking Diary anyways?" Oh, so it''s okay to get upset at me for los- having it stolen, for a couple of days, but if he loses it it''s fine huh?


    "Wow, I''m actually kind of impressed. You''re taking this much better than I thought you would."


    "Yeah. It''s such a shame you lost it in the library. If only I had been there to control it, but alas you; a poor ignorant student with absolutely zero knowledge of bookkeeping, had to go and open the book without proper supervision."


    "What?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He continued, a small smirk forming on his lips.


    "Oh well, I guess it can''t be helped. Man, she''s really gonna be pissed when she hears about this. Aren''t you on your last strike before your library pass gets confiscated?"


    "Oh you backstabbing... Fine! Come on I''ll help you get that damned book!"


    He smiled and stood up again, and we made our way to the aisles once more. "Oh, so kind of you. We always can use a bit of volunteer work!"


    "Shut up, I''m only doing this because you blackmailed me. You owe me." I said.


    "Actually, I think this finally makes us even."

 Chapter Two: Diary Problems

    Chapter Two: Diary Problems


    There are moments in life when you have to take a step back and ask yourself a few questions, like what specific life choices were the ones that ultimately culminated in you finding yourself in whatever situation you happen to find yourself in.


    Moments like now for instance. Janis, and I had spent the past three quarters of an hour chasing a flying, magical book written by one of the greatest trickster mages alive through a labyrinth of bookcases, and my continued access to the only place that kept me from dropping out of one of the more prestigious magical academies in the country potentially depended on my ability to catch said flying, magical trickster book.


    Our forty-five minute chase had culminated in both Janis and I standing at the base of the tallest bookshelf I had ever seen. Looming some thirty feet high, it dwarfed the surrounding shelves and stretched almost all the way to the ceiling of the library. It was made of wood so dark as to seem black, and the shadow it cast seemed to stretch much farther than its impressive height would indicate. Even standing well back I couldn''t help feeling a little intimidated.


    By a shelf.


    "That''s the Restricted Shelf", whispered Janis. "Only full Arcanists and Professors are allowed access to it." He sounded almost awed.


    "Why am I a little scared of it?" I whispered back.


    "It''s an enchantment, I think. It''s supposed to stop students from getting too close. Those books are restricted for a reason. It''s said that only books containing great power and wisdom can even be placed on its shelves."


    I looked at the glowing device Janis held in his hand. A Divining Rod. It looked similar to a regular wand, except it was crafted for the specific purpose of casting divination spells. A single yellowish pinpoint of light shone from the tip of the rod, and a little trail about three fingers long tapered off in the direction of the Restricted Shelves.


    "Well, I dunno about that." I said, finally seeing where the Diary had come to rest this time. "Because the Diary seems to be enjoying that top shelf pretty nicely."


    We both gazed silently up at the very top shelf where the Diary was currently, what, nesting? Somehow I just knew that the damn thing was mocking us. Logically my mind knew it was just a book, and was thus incapable of conveying complex emotion, but I still couldn''t help but get a certain feeling of smug satisfaction coming off of it when I saw it. The Diary shuffled around on its perch for a few moments before falling still. ''Come catch me if you can!'' it seemed to taunt, ''I can wait.''


    We waited in silence for it to move. If there''s one thing that we had over the Diary, it was patience. It was in the Wandering Diary''s nature to roam, hence the name, it would be incapable of sitting still for long. All we had to do was bide our time and eventually it would get bored...


    ...


    "Screw this! I''m going to go get it." I said as I got back to my feet and began marching towards the shelves.


    "Seriously?! It has only been five minutes! We''re not even allowed near that thing, let alone up it! How are you even going to get all the way to the top?"


    That was an excellent question. I looked up at the shelf from right at its base and gulped. It was definitely more intimidating this close up, and I swear that it grew taller as I walked over. In a moment of clarity I realized just how stupid this whole thing was. Who even cared about this dumb book anyways? Let it rest on these shelves of death if it damn well wants to.


    Nobody will really be surprised if the Wandering Diary goes missing. I could just say that I returned it and that''s the last I saw of it.


    I caught myself halfway through turning around to walk back the way I''d come. Slowly, excitedly, I turned myself back to face the shelves. I might only be in my third year of studies, but all mages practised self evaluation skills and mindfulness as a rule of thumb, not least on the reasons why was to be able to detect when your mind was being altered. Right now, something was messing with my head.


    A Doubt Enchantment! Of course! I''d read about these. Doubt Enchantments were auras that could be embedded into the very soul of a being or object, causing anybody perceiving that object to doubt themselves in some specific way. They were made famous for making people less willing to steal something, although they weren¡¯t restricted to simply turning people away and had other more obscure and creative uses. Powerful ones used to be commonplace to protect high value artifacts.


    "I think it''s a Doubt Enchantment, Janis!" I called back to him.


    "What?! I doubt it. Aren''t those illegal?!" He called back.


    Indeed they were. There''s a reason why they were used to protect high value artifacts. Ever since soul manipulation was banned during the first of the Necromancer Wars almost a hundred years ago, Doubt Enchantments ceased to be put into use. Officially I think there''s no law against having one, but they are quite illegal to cast, meaning that this particular enchantment must be at the very least a hundred years old! Possibly older!


    Now that I''d become conscious of the effect the enchantment was having on my mind, it was a relatively simple task to negate its effects. The enchantment must have been very powerful for it to have even lasted this long, but its potency had faded over time, as all spells will, and so now it was barely functioning, as evidenced by a mediocre third year mage such as myself being able to counter its effects.


    "Actually they¡¯re not quite illegal! This one must date back to before the Necromancer Wars! Technically it''s not the spell that''s banned, just the school it comes from!"


    Janis just shook his head, "How do you even know that? There isn''t a book on Necromancy in the entire library."


    "I have my sources." I responded mysteriously. I didn''t really want to admit that Necromancy was something of a guilty fascination of mine, to the point that I had requested access to a few personal libraries of some of the professors in order to find whatever information I could about it, under the pretense of extra-curricular studies. Well, I guess I wasn''t pretending, it was extra-curricular.


    It''s not like I was planning on resurrecting some ancient lich, or manipulating the souls of people around me. I suppose I can understand why people have such a negative reaction to the school that practices "death magic", especially after the Necromancer Wars almost a century ago, but I did always think it was a little bit hypocritical of the Church to persecute a practice that had so much in common with what they''ve been doing for millennia.


    Oh well, at least the Church didn''t use their power to try and take over the world and enslave the masses, so they get points for that I suppose.


    "How are you planning on even climbing that, Lissanda?" Janis called from behind me.


    In all honesty, when I had marched up to the shelves, I had been planning on just climbing up the shelves like a ladder, but now that I was at its base, it suddenly struck me that I was firstly a terrible climber, and not inclined towards athletics in the slightest, and secondly this was a library, and they had to have a way to fetch down books from the higher shelves.


    The ladder off to my left would probably do.


    After a few moments of heaving, ladders are apparently heavier than they look, I managed to get the sturdy wooden ladder leaning up against the tall shelf. I hesitated for just a moment on the bottom rung, before turning to look at Janis.


    "Any chance you''d be interested in doing your job, rather than having me do it for you?"


    He simply laughed, "In your dreams! You volunteered to help, that makes this your job too. Plus this was your idea. Go for it! Don''t worry I''ll catch you if you fall!" he joked.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Shrugging, I turned back and started to climb. It was worth a shot. It did enter my mind briefly that I could literally order him to do it, but as always, that just was not something I think I could ever be fully comfortable doing to a human being.


    As I made my ascent, it was impossible not to glance at the variety of dusty old tomes lying on the shelves, and oh boy, what an impressive variety there was! It was easy to tell that these books were ancient. They were all positively coated in dust, up to a finger-width deep on most of them, and many of them were written in strange languages that I didn''t even recognize! Some of the books were so old that they weren''t even books, just thick scrolls wrapped in presumably enchanted ribbons.


    One book in particular caught my eye, a relatively thin volume that stood all on its own just an arm''s length to my left as I climbed. It was interesting in that it did not appear to be as ancient as the other tomes near it on the shelves. Instead, it was completely void of any dust, as if somebody had placed it there not an hour ago. For all I knew, someone had. Even more amazing though, was that as I examined the book, the letters making up its cover seemed to shift and warp in place, some merging and others splitting to form recognizable words from the jumbled hieroglyphs that they had assumed before. Curious, I read the front cover, and my heart froze.


    Not literally, thankfully. There were stories of cursed books of forbidden knowledge that could drive a reader insane, or kill them instantly. Fortunately, in reality the amount of magic you actually required to kill somebody, and the complexity of storing that magic in a stable form, meant that such a book was not practically possible. I mean, you could make it, but you''d need a book that weighed about as much as three people.


    No, the reason my heart seemed to freeze was because of what the book said. In hand-written writing so plain and ordinary as to almost be suspicious, it revealed itself to be a diary.


    The Diary of Marasha deGrave - Necromancer. If found please return to the Girl''s Common Room, East Tower.


    ...


    ¡®WHAT?! Marasha deGrave?! Who was she?! She was a Necromancer?! Is it just a coincidence that she had the same last name as me, or¡­¡¯ I was completely stunned for a moment, before my rational brain finally caught up with the rest of me.


    Don''t be silly, it''s probably just an enchanted book that shows you something weird or something. Those glyphs could''ve arranged themselves to say anything! Though I couldn''t escape the feeling that I was trying to justify this, it was a reasonable explanation for what I was seeing, this was magic after all.


    "Everything alright up there, Lissanda? You''re not afraid of heights are you?" My thoughts were interrupted by Janis'' voice coming from below.


    "Yeah! There''s a book up here with my name on it! Can you believe that?!" I called back.


    Janis'' response was surprisingly serious, "Do not touch anything on that shelf Lissanda! I mean it! There''s some seriously dangerous books in the library! I don''t even want to think about some of the stuff that''ll be in the restricted area!"


    I wanted to crack some sort of a joke, but on second thought he was absolutely right. Although I knew it was impossible to hide a super powerful curse in a book, there were plenty of very unpleasant hexes and jinxes that could very easily be woven in the space between pages, and I certainly wasn''t interested in finding out exactly which ones were contained in the books held on these shelves. Giving the mysterious Diary one last cursory glance, I continued my way up the ladder.


    Only to pass it again.


    There it was. Another copy of the Diary of Marasha deGrave, close enough to be easily within arm''s reach now, I eyed it carefully as I climbed past it.


    When I encountered it again on the very next shelf, I paused. "I think this book is following me Janis!"


    "What do you mean ''following you''?"


    "I mean the damned thing is following me! I meant what I said! It appears on every shelf I visit!" I called down.


    "Look Lissanda maybe this isn''t the best idea!" Janis finally called back up. "The more I think about it, the less I like the idea of messing with the Restricted Shelf! I''ll just tell Mrs. Serikutt that the Diary was returned, but was lost again!"


    At this point I was just over halfway up the ladder to where the Wandering Diary was perched. As much as I didn''t want to take the cowardly option, I had to concede that Janis, as a junior librarian, had far more experience handling magical books than I did, and had a far better idea of the risks involved. If he was concerned, then there was probably reason to be concerned, and it would be foolish not to heed his advice.


    "Alright. I''m coming down!" I called, and began making my way down the ladder. As I descended, I noticed that the Diary of Marasha deGrave did not appear on the shelves. In fact, I could not see it anywhere on any of the shelves, not even in places I knew I''d encountered it previously. That was vaguely unsettling, but probably ultimately a good thing. It likely meant that it had given up chasing me for whatever reason.


    When I reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped off, the moment my foot hit the carpeted floor of the library, a loud gong echoed through the building, resonating inside my chest and startling me. I definitely didn''t cry out in alarm. Don''t listen to what Janis tells you, he''s lying.


    GONG, GONG, GONG.


    The three bells rang out signalling the end of the study day, and that meals would soon begin to be brought to various rooms. For me, I''d arranged with the school staff to have my meals delivered directly to my room today, given that I didn''t have any plans to socialize with anybody tonight. Or most nights really.


    "Oh well. That was a fun adventure, I guess." I said, brushing off some of the dust that had collected on my robes, and ensuring my satchel was still slung comfortably over my shoulder.


    Janis, chuckled. "Yeah. I have to go fill out a form for the missing book, unfortunately. You should probably head to the mess hall for supper. Thanks for helping me out here, by the way. I do appreciate it."


    I couldn''t stop the glare I aimed at him for that one. The rotten bastard had forced me to help him! He just chuckled at my expression though, and I couldn''t help but laugh. I admit that I had been quite uncomfortable up that ladder, and it was a relief to now be down on solid ground, and far away from that evil bookshelf.


    Personally, I hadn''t really realised just how late it was getting. The day had really flown by, and my stomach was reminding me that it had been quite a while since I''d had my light lunch. After saying my farewells to Janis the librarian, I made my way through the stone halls of the school to the South East Tower, which was the current location of the Third Year Girl''s dormitory.


    By the time I made it to my chambers, the serving maids were already delivering food. I followed one of the maids who was carrying a small tray with a steaming bowl of soup and a few slices of buttered bread all the way to my room, which she promptly knocked to announce her arrival.


    "Oh, that would be for me then! Here, let me take that for you!" I said from behind her. She gave a small bow, but insisted I let her carry it inside. Sighing, I unlocked the door and led her into my chambers.


    Our student chambers were, in all honesty, lavish. They generally consisted of a single bedchamber, a bathroom with installed plumbing and piped water, and a walk-in wardrobe. In my case, however, I had converted my walk-in wardrobe into a study, as it was far too big to fit all of my possessions that I''d brought with me. Instead, I had a smaller dresser installed at the end of the double-sized bed, which suited me much better.


    It did, however, mean that I tended to just discard used laundry in a heap next to the dresser though. I wouldn''t call the room messy, but it certainly wasn''t immaculate like I knew many other girl''s rooms were. I generally didn''t invite anyone into my rooms, so usually it wasn''t an issue, but the dirty look that the maid was failing to hide from me did make me feel a little


    bad for them.


    Thank heavens she didn''t see my study. She might have a stroke!


    I began to offer to help the maid collect my things to be washed, only to realise she was almost finished. Awkwardly, I thanked her as she left, before taking my meal into the study to eat while I read.


    Oh yes! I hadn''t just helped the librarian track down an errant copy of the Wandering Diary. I had also arrived with the intention to check out a book that I''d been looking forward to for a while now. Giggling to myself softly, I jumped into my chair, fishing inside my satchel for the book I had checked out.


    Granny Gertrude''s Guide to Home Baking Volume III. Or better known to the more astute reader as... the third installment of the Heavenly Tales series. I read it for the plot I swear.


    Obviously, checking out such books from the library can lead to... rumors. Therefore, Granny Gertrude always gives her books a more mundane title. I''m sure that it doesn''t fool anybody, really, but it allows the reader to pretend, which is good enough.


    However, I paused when I realised that there were two books contained in my satchel. Odd, I had definitely only checked out a single book. Perhaps I had grabbed another by mistake? I didn''t think so, but I hadn''t really been paying attention at the... time...


    I stared down in horror at the copy of the Diary of Marasha deGrave that I was currently holding in my shaking hands.


    ¡®Nonononono! Oh shit oh fuck oh shit! This freakin diary! What is it with diaries?! Why can''t I ever get a break from diaries?! Oh god I''m cursed now aren''t I? Oh damn it I told Janis it was a bad idea to climb the shelves! Oh shit!¡¯


    Figuring that the situation was already about as bad as it could be, I gingerly put my thumb underneath the cover of the book, and turned to the first page.


    At first, the page was completely blank, but ink quickly appeared on the blank page, swirling just like the title had done, forming words, sentences.


    Hello, Lissanda. Let''s make a deal.


    Shiiiiiiit.