World of Warcraft®

Lilith gazed down at the creature.

It was hard to believe that it was truly here. A demon. A dangerous little creature from another realm stood before her. Bowed before her. Called her master. It could have all been overwhelming, if she let it. She knew now what it was to be in control. To have power over herself. To hold sway over another. She would take her Dark Master's council to heart. Starting at this moment she would exercise full control over this demon.

“Chomat.” She gazed down at the imp. Her finger tracing a line over her lips as she thought. The imp looked up at her.

“Now that you are here, what shall we do with you?” A rhetorical question. The imp knew this, and so did not answer. Even as she asked ideas began swirling around her head and she began to pace. She glanced out the window and noticed the faint glow of the morning sun. Such as it could be in this gloom stricken town.

As she paced her gaze swept across the bed. A faint glint drew her attention. She paused for a moment at the foot of the bed.

A small vial of a red liquid laid on the covers as if it had been carefully placed. Curious but with caution Lilith lifted the vial and examined it. A familiar rune had been burnt into the cork stopper. A mark of the maker? She wondered.

Passing a finger over the rune she received a familiar tingle up her arm. Fel magic. She glanced at the imp who stood patiently by, watching. It nodded and muttered. “A gift.”

A smirk turned up one side of her mouth. "I think I know from whom." She pressed her thumb against the rune. A voice dark and foreboding, yet all too familiar, spoke to her mind.

My work can not be impeded, and neither can your success. Drink this with the next meal and my plague can no longer touch you. The voice ended with a familiar warning.

Do not disappoint me.

She knew it! Well, in truth she had only suspected. But this confirmed her suspicions. The imp giggled, responding to her repressed excitement. "Suspicions confirmed! Your senses are sharp. This is good. Trust in your intuition."

With a sly grin she slipped the vial into her belt pouch, giving a silent oath. Never, my master.

An idea abruptly came to her.

“For several days now I have been sifting through town records, looking for any book on the list you gave me. Remember that day? When I first summoned you in the crypt?”

The imp nodded its head. “Yes master. I remember well. The list of tomes I provided so you gain more power from the secrets held within.” He gestured to the book satchel laying on the floor near the door. “The Black Grimoire of the Grim One. Full of secrets, precious secrets, this is; but guards them closely. It will not relent unless coaxed. It needs reassurance before it will whisper again.”

“What kind of reassurance? Tell me how I can coax it.” Lilith listened closely, her arms folded beneath her breasts.

“The list.” The imp pointed at the gnome's belt. “The tomes. Find them. Coax secrets from their pages. Show your desire to know through your earnest in searching. Compare. Test the knowledge gained what you find within the Black Grimoire. It will whisper back and share.”

Lilith pulled a folded paper from her belt pouch. She opened it reading through the list of books the imp had given her weeks ago. She turned the page and held it before him. “Tell me then, Chomat. Will find any of these books here in Darkshire?”

The imps' long nose moved like a pointer across the page as it scanned the book titles. “Horrible handwriting.” It mumbled. After a moment to ponder, Chomat looked up at the gnome. “Five tomes, master. Five tomes were written here, but where they are now...” The imp shrugged with a sigh. “I do not know.”

Lilith brought the page back and scanned over it, thinking.

“I need to bring you with me, Chomat.”

The imp looked excited.

“But, I can't have you following me around. At least not where people can see you.” Another idea struck her, and she grinned. The imp did not share that grin. It knew what she was going to ask. Lilith grabbed her backpack and emptied everything out on her bed. She took up one of her pillow, removed the case and placed the Black Grimoire inside, wrapping it. She then slipped the tome into her empty back so that it sat up right, flat against her back. She then considered the imp.

“I'm going to carry you with me inside this pack. Only, is there something you can do about the flames dancing around you?”

The imp hesitated, looking down over itself. It looked back up at the gnome asking with the glance if it really had too. The raven haired gnome nodded. Chomat huffed a little sigh to himself. The flames died back to little more than a warm emanation from its dark skin. It stood before the gnome with a defeated expression.

“Happy?” it asked.

Lilith nodded with a smile and held open the pack. Dejectedly the imp crawled inside and shifted until it got comfortable. She drew the string shut and fastened the flap buckle. "I'm going to take you with me into the town hall. From beneath the flap you can peek out and tell me if you see any of them. That should help my search go faster."

The imp mumbled from within. “You know, its actually not that bad in here. Kinda comfy.” She looped the straps over her shoulders.

“You need to be quiet back there Chomat. I mean it. Not a peep while we're out in public. At least, not unless I speak to you first. Understand?”

A skinny dark arm popped out from beneath the flap and gave a thumbs up. “Can do, master.” The arm then disappeared back inside. The gnome rolled her eyes.

She opened the door and made her way back down stairs.

She had no idea that the surprises for the day would continue.

She joyously descended the stairs much the same as she had hours before. She paused a few steps from the bottom seeing a familiar face waiting to greet her. Clerk Daltry.

For a moment she wondered, If I went back up to my room right now and came back down, what else am I going to find waiting for me? Surprised by his presence Lilith nevertheless greeted him in her usual respectful manner. She gave him a nod with a very human lady-like curtsy.

“Clerk Dalrty! How fares your morning?”

The clerk smiled and returned her greeting with a bow. “Well Lilith. Please forgive my calling on you so early, but I have a bit of good news for you.” He pulled from behind him what appeared to be a folded letter. He handed it Lilith, who opened it and read.

“The Town Historian has granted permission,” The clerk dictated as she read. “... along with the approval of Lord Ebonlocke, to allow you full access to our town repository.”

“Repository?”

Lilith was stunned.

Repository.

Did this mean she hadn't been given full access to all of their libraries? The thought that there could be more, enough to call the location a repository, was almost staggering. Excitement at the prospects of accessing such a collection welled up, but she fought the urge to sequel with delight. Instead she feigned, in part, her shock. “I had no idea... That is, I thought you had already given me full access to your libraries.”

Clerk Daltry shook his head. “No m'lady. The repository is where we keep all of our more sensitive records. Books, histories, and other recordings which we try and safeguard. It is also where we store most of our older registries.”

“Fascinating!”

Lilith covered her mouth with a hand and peered around the room, careful not to draw undue attention. Likewise Clerk Dalrty raised a silent finger to his lips. Thankfully the tavern was largely empty. She whispered. “Where is this repository?”

The clerk motioned with a sly wink. “Follow me miss.”

Together they entered the town hall and approached a far corner bookcase. Over the past few days Lilith had familiarized herself with its contents, but she never thought to give the shelf itself a second look. The clerk glanced around the room and nodded when he was satisfied it was empty. He spoke quietly.

“Normally we don't access this when people are about. Its existence is no great secret mind you, but its location we try and keep only between the town leaders.” Clerk Daltry reached behind the bookcase searching for something. He eyed the gnome next to him. “Consider this an honor m'lady. Not many more outside of this hall know of the entrance.”

Finding the small lever he gave it a sharp tug. Lilith couldn't see exactly where it was, but she noted about where it might be for future reference. It activated a simple mechanism allowing the clerk to easily slide the bookcase forward. Upon doing so the floor boards separated, lifting up to reveal a hidden entrance to a dark room below.

Lilith marveled. “The repository is below the Town Hall?”

The clerk nodded with a grin. Lilith thought that he looked rather proud of himself, being able to display such an apparent secret with her. She wondered how many others had been shown this secret.

He explained.

“It sprawls the entire length and then some. It breaks off into a long corridor of rooms that go deeper into the hillside behind.”

He stood aside and politely motioned for her to enter. Wide eyed Lilith stepped forward and disappeared into the darkness below. Clerk Daltry followed pulling the hatch shut behind. Once shut, the mechanism worked, pulling the bookcase back into its spot.

Clerk Daltry shook a short thick rod and the tip illuminated. He handed the rod down to the wide-eyed gnome and did the same to a second rod he pulled from a belt pouch. He continued to explain while they descended the stone steps.

“No too long ago the town was beset by a mad man. He had fooled a number of well meaning people into doing most of his dirty work. In the end though he attacked Darkshire with some demented creation of his. Nearly burnt the town to ground. The night watch fought bravely, and with the aid of several other mighty souls, the madman was put down and the town was saved. Afraid that we might loose everything should another incident occur, the council secretly had this repository constructed.”

As they reached the bottom of the steps a long room illuminated before them.

Tall shelves reached from the stone floor to the wooden ceiling some twelve feet or so in height, rows on either side. They ran three sections wide then broke for an opening. This continued for two more sections. The opening allowed access to the opposite side of the shelves.

As Lilith walked, Clerk Daltry in tow, she marveled. “It must have taken the town a while to build this place.” The clerk shook his head.

“Not really. You would be surprised. The town hall already had a sizable basement to begin with.”

She read the spines as she moved deeper. Census records. Maps. Land charts. On the shelves behind her were more records of the same. Further down she started into town records. Minutes of Town Council meetings. Town codes, laws, regulations. A little further past these she started into the historical section. Personal histories of town folk. Journals of people long dead. Recordings of important events in the kingdom and how they affected this province in particular. Judging by the titles the histories appeared to span everything from personal opinions and insight to factual declarations and documentation.

Lilith paused amidst it all. Her little raven haired head swam. She felt as if she had discovered a treasure trove.

“Rather impressive, isn't it?” Lilith almost yelped, having forgotten Clerk Daltry was behind her. She nodded her head in reply.

“I hope you find something that helps you with your research.” He smiled down at her. “I can't stay and help unfortunately. My duties need me up above.” Lilith sighed inside.

Good. I can work in peace without someone hovering over my shoulder.

“However, I have arranged for an apprentice archivist to stay and aid you in whatever way he may.” Lilith huffed inside.

Great.

“Sounds great!” She smiled up at the tall man.

He motioned behind her and called out. “Booker!” From the darkness between the rows of books stepped a tall young boy with dark hair. Lilith grinned.

“Booker? Rather fitting. You look to be barely in your teens. Are you literate?”

The dark haired boy nodded. “Yes ma'am! I, uh, mean Ms. Gnome... uh... m'lady...” Lilith giggled as he stumbled over himself.

“First time meeting a gnome?”

The boy shook his head. “Yes. No! I mean,” His face burned red. “Sorry.” He smiled bashfully. The little raven haired gnome giggled again.

“Forget about it Booker. Just call me Lilith.” Booker shook his head again exuberantly.

He asked, “Where would you like to begin?”

Lilith turned to the clerk. “I think we'll be fine down here Mr. Daltry. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer.”

He nodded. “Very well. I'll check in later.” He turned on his heels and left the same way they entered. The gnome turned to the boy.

“Very well! Show me to your older histories of this land, eh? We'll start there.”

The little raven haired gnome spent the rest of the day thumbing carefully through one old book after another while the tall dark haired boy, Booker, waited patiently at the end of the aisle, himself reading a book.

She had managed to wedge her light source between some old dusty tomes on the shelf behind her. As she went about collecting books of interest, she left them in little stacks on the floor. In short order she had collected so many different books that the stacks were forming a ring around her which took up most of the wide aisle.

Now and then she would ask Booker to find her a particular book and even if she had a specific title in mind Lilith would withhold that informations. Instead she would launch into a purposefully long convoluted description of what the tome 'might' contain, all in an effort to buy her some time. When the boy was distracted pacing up and down the aisle selecting books, she let the imp out of her pack and instructed him to quietly look through the rest of the books in the repository.

“Be swift. Don't be seen or heard. And don't burn anything.” She stressed. The imp looked none too pleased, but nodded its understanding.

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((oops! <was meant to be posted by Ravenblack, not Caileanmor... ))

Lilith couldn't help but feel a tiny bit bad. She knew the imps urges. She rather enjoyed the moments when he would get happy and excited. It was amusing and almost childlike, in a sinister fashion. She wrestled with herself for a moment as the imp slowly walked away looking rather depressed.

“Oh, all right.” She relented.

“You can make a mess. But only a little mess. Don't get out of hand and don't get caught.”

Chomat turned to her. Its little impish eyes beamed and it nodded its head eagerly. The imp excitedly bounded around the corner and into the darkness.

Booker returned with an arm full of books matching her request. One by one he handed them down to the raven-haired gnome, seated within her growing walls of book stacks.

“May I ask a question?” Lilith nodded up at the boy.

“What exactly are you looking for?”

Lilith's heart dropped.

It wasn't so much the question as it was the way he had asked it. His voice inflection plainly denoted a nervous caution typical of a boy that age. In that moment however Lilith only heard the nervous tremblings of a voice that might have guessed her aim. Questions and suspicions darted through her mind and she gave the boy a sharp glance without realizing she had. A reaction to fear that she had been discovered. False and unfounded, but fear nonetheless.

The boy recoiled a bit. She saw the instant surprise and fear in his own eyes. The gnome instantly softened her gaze and smiled. It seems she wasn't yet in total control of herself after all.

“History. It fascinates me." She said plainly.

"I've heard wild stories and dark tales spun around the city, spoken in hushed tones between confidants. My natural curiosity has simply driven me to investigate for myself.” She examined each book he handed her for a moment, then set it down atop one of the several piles.

“The darker mysteries. These tales intrigue me the most. I only hope to compile a more condensed yet comprehensive volume. Something that a person in Stormwind might read and so help to clear up most of the rumors and put to rest silly superstitions.” She watched the boy, hoping her improvised reasoning put him at ease.

The dark haired boy thought for a moment, handing down to her the final book in his arms. “I see. In that case, I'll look around and see what else I can pull up for you.” The boy smiled. She returned it in kind, relieved her momentary lapse in judgment had been glossed over. She made a mental note to relax. No need to be on guard when you have nothing to hide.

“That would be very helpful!”

Bit by bit as the day wore on the imp would scurry past her when the boy was distracted, delivering a book.

“Read with interest master! I will continue my search.” The imp would then disappear again before she could ask it anything. Several times he had done this and each time became more irritating that the last. The little creature was just too swift, or perhaps Lilith was much too distracted.

The first book Chomat found her was indeed on her list. Dream Wood, by Gale Jerich. A recounting of strange occurrences centered around a hidden grove near the center of the dusk woods. A large tree grew within. The author talks about strange magics at work within this glen, how the darkness that permeated the dusk woods surrounding wasn't able to enter this glen.

She also made mention of visions being at work within the glen. She tempted fate only once and ventured within but found nothing but more curiosities. Long after her single adventure, she had a series of strange vivid dreams, which she also recorded.

Lilith put herself to studying its content carefully for the next few hours.

The day wore on as she studied Dream Wood.

Between Booker and the imp her collection of books had grown taller. A familiar pain gripped her stomach, and she realized that she was hungry.

“Booker?” she asked with a pretty smile. “Would you mind heading up stairs and fetching us something to eat?”

The boy shook his head. “I was told not to leave you alone, Ms. Lilith. Mr. Daltry would be disappointed if I did.”

“Aww. Please?” She batted her cute gnome eyes and looked up at him with the sweetest expression she could muster. “I promise that I will stay right here.”

The boy was struggling inside, she could tell. It was rather amusing for her to watch. “Oh, I suppose I could. If I hurry.”

Lilith batted her eyes again and smiled, sweetly dismissing him. “That would be wonder! You're so sweet!”

She turned back to the book, burying her face in its pages. From the corner of her eye she peeked over the cover and watched the boy hurry back to the stairs, his light source fading as he left. When she heard the trap door close in the distance she called to the imp.

Chomat bounded out of the darkness with another book in hand. Lilith considered it along with all the other books a moment.

“What is all of this?” She gestured around at all the other books the imp had brought her. “None of these are on the list.”

“Interesting bits!” The imp squeaked. “All of them! They have bits here and there that will interest you, master.” Chomat grinned. Lilith sighed, thinking in that moment the imp looked more like a puppy. Eager to please.

“Alright.” She held the book Dream Wood in her hand. “I have been through this twice already. Other than a few interesting mentions of magic and dark visions, I fail to see any hidden secrets.” She gestured around her. “Help me see how they all relate.”

The imp eagerly bounded over to a pile and snatched up a book. It plopped down beside the gnome and opened its book, flipping rapidly through its pages.

“Here!” It gestured at the page. “Read!”

Lilith comments as she reads, alternating back and forth between the two books. “Jerich mentions falling darkness in her dreams. This passage in the book here also mentions darkness falling over them.” The imp nodded eagerly to continue.

“It mentions here seeing horsemen. Jerich doesn't mention any horsemen.” She frowned. “I'm failing to see how any of this is relevant to any kind of dark secret.” The imp bounded to its feet and retrieved another seemingly random book from the pile. Chomat returned, flipping wildly through its pages and set the open book down in Liliths' lap. She heaved a sigh of frustration, but read where the imp had indicated.

“Howling beasts took their brother along the road. The writer describes them as hounds, but who were dark and vicious. Appearing as if they had been summoned from hell itself.” Lilith quoted from the book. She turned back to Dream Wood. “That's fairly close to what Jerich describes in her dreams.” Her mouth twists. “Interesting, but...”

Chomat drops another open book into her lap. Lilith huffs at the weight. “Ok, this is getting ridiculous.”

She pushed the books off her lap. “Why are you showing me all of this?”

“Clues! Master wants power. Master must read. Must search. Must follow clues! Then consult Grim One's book.”

Lilith heaved another sigh. “I feel like I'm running in circles with this.” She glared at the imp, but pulled the open books back to her. She continued reading between them.

“Ferocious man beasts prowl the woods day and night. The woods are no longer safe.” She changes to a more recent book.

“The so called feral worgen in the woods originated from another realm, introduced by a group of hapless explorers who stumbled upon a strange artifact. Where this artifact is today, none can say.”

“So I am looking for an artifact then?”

The imp gestured for her to continue. It opened up another book and pointed to a specific passage. She read aloud.

“The dark rider spoke, shrill and harsh, and I listened though I wished I hadn't. They spoke called to me, taunting me as I ran. Always at my heels. Unrelenting. One of them held a scythe and gestured into the distance. An ivory spire rose above the dark treeline. I turned to run but was pounce upon by a large dark hellish hound.”

“Jerich says that's when she would wake.” Lilith sat back against the bookshelf. Her mouth twisted as she thought.

All of these seem to be referencing the same thing. Dark Riders. Hellish Hounds. These two mention a scythe, and in Jerich's dream she says that one of the dark riders pointed with the scythe to an ivory spire in the distance.

She was deeply intrigued.

“These are all connected. How?” She asked the imp. Chomat stood silently by, a wide grin growing on its impish face. A spark ignited in Lilith's mind.

“The 'how' is the reason. That's why you were showing me all of this.” Lilith struggled to her feet.

She grimaced at the discovery that one of her legs had fallen asleep. She groaned through the pain and limped in a circle waiting for the feeling to return. As she did, the gnome glanced around at the mess of books that surrounded her.

“Looks like you've done a find job, Chomat. Though I suppose I am just as much to blame. This is quite a mess.” The imp giggled with its own shrill little voice. “Oh master. You should look around the corner!”

Lilith cringed at the thought. “I'd better not. I might start to feel guilty I turned you loose to mess up these peoples' records.” The imp only giggled and shrugged.

“Bring me the Grimoire.” she commanded.