Beneath the Dragoneye Moons

I opened my eyes in the world of my soul, a grinning Librarian sitting on the checkout desk.

She was… frankly, looking a bit of a hot mess. I wouldn’t be caught dead looking how she was dressed.

The robes from the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft went alright paired with the new Sentinel cape, but the gauntlets completely ruined the look. The Sentinel Eagle was pinned on her chest, and the colors just clashed horribly. She closed the book she’d been idly paging through, grinning at me.

“Uhhhhhhh…” We were the same person, so I didn’t want to be rude, but like… I’d want to know.

Librarian shot me a dirty look.

“This is your fault, you know!” She protested. “We’re in the middle of redefining our identity, I don’t get to choose how we see ourselves, and I can’t fix it. Watch.”

She shook off one of the gauntlets, the metal ringing strangely as it hit the floor. Then it seemed to practically dissolve, reforming on her hand.

Librarian shook a fist at the ceiling, then hopped off the desk.

“Anyway, that’s the situation. Let’s get right to it? Want me to prune out the side-grades?”

I nodded, barely glancing at the tens of thousands of books that made up the first level of the library. I had access to real books now, I had the ability to read a dozen in my sleep every night. No more was I so starved for content that I’d spend days here, reading as many books as I could, drinking in their meager stories.

No. I had the real thing now, and I could spend my time and energy focusing on what was important - selecting my next class.

Librarian clearly knew, because we hurried up the flight of stairs with minimal chatter. We got to the floor, and I was once again blown away.

Each time, the books that were on offer were displayed differently. This time, the floor was dominated by a massive apple tree.

I suspected shenanigans on some level. Related to my curse? Or was it because I had a knowledge and information-based class, that there was some reference to the tree of knowledge and forbidden fruit?

But hey! One of the only places I could eat apples to my heart's content, and not be in mortal danger.

If it had any apples!

Instead of apples though, the tree had class books, each one artfully secured by the branches. A spiral staircase went around the thick trunk, the path to the next level clear. For the next time I classed up.

Instead I looked more closely at the forbidden fruit - errr - class offerings.

Each one had the purple cover that indicated a Spatial element - the lack of any side-grades made me think Librarian had done some careful pruning of the offerings - and with a gesture, Librarian grew a chair made out of wood for me to sit in.

“Thank you.” I said, taking a seat. “What’s up first?”

The tree’s leaves rustled as a branch grew, the book hanging heavy on it dropping into my lap. The branch then retracted back as I looked at the book.

[Archaeological Adventurer] the blazingly bright green text was practically shouting at me.

I gave Librarian a Look as I tossed it over one shoulder. She started to laugh.

“Oh, the look on your face! I wish you could’ve seen it. Wait, wait, you can, hang on.”

Librarian’s face then twisted into a horrified rictus, looking like a dead slug had just been dropped down her robes. She then burst into laughter again.

I weakly chuckled at the face she pulled. It was funny.

“Alright, hit me with the… hmm… four best options I’ve got, that still stick vaguely within the theme I’ve got going.” I asked.

Four books landed in front of me, and I skimmed the titles and basics.

[Scholar of the Scale] - For twenty thousand years, you have contemplated the dangers, history, and lore of dragons. You have witnessed the devastation of an irate dragon, and lived to spread the word. You possess in excess of twenty thousand years of history, and remember ancient magics long forgotten. You saw nascent forms of wizardry, and know the language of Creation itself. You have read scrolls older than any civilization currently on Pallos. Yet you are malcontent to merely remember history, as you actively seek it out and even shape it, with every language bearing your mark. You have delved into the depths of the earth to find long-lost manuscripts, returning the memories of a past life to the light. In memory of the battles you saw in ages past, you have bathed yourself in the blood of wyverns and coated yourself with the scales of mighty serpents. Rise, scholar, and carry history ever forward into the future. +125 Mana, +125 Mana Regeneration, +250 Magic Power, +250 Magic Control per level.

I was less than impressed. A quality downgrade to blue, a focus just on history, and so-so skills? The only weird thing was it came with an armor skill, of all things, purely on the basis of my rainbow serpent subdermal layer.

Flipping through the book was… not terribly impressive.

Oh, how my standards had changed that a blue class, mostly doing what I loved, was simply ‘meh’.

[Scholar of the Scale] had me spending hours upon hours in the library, occasionally finding traces of a lost empire or civilization, then slowly, steadily, painstakingly going out, finding various remnants and accounts of said place, and stitching together a tapestry of what had happened before. At times, they’d be diaries adventurers had found in old ruins, at others, I’d be interviewing Immortals who had been there, who had lived the experience. Now and then I’d be taking field trips to dusty catacombs, getting a first-hand view of what life had been like.

I could see that the class could appeal to a certain type of person, but I wasn’t sure that was me.

I had asked for the four best books, and I was hoping this was a bad outlier, and not representative of the rest.

[Ancient Loremaster of Legend] - You stand triumphant, a legend in your own right and steward of countless more. Through your own efforts, your name is synonymous with wisdom and caring, knowing and compassion. You are the custodian of timeless wisdom and the keeper of myth, folklore, and calamities, mandated to help rebuild civilization from ashes. You have dedicated your life to the pursuit and preservation of knowledge across the eons. In an era lacking books, you persevered. Nothing brings you more joy than reading a book. From dragon’s dens to libraries in the sky, from the most common and mundane novel to secret chambers housing terrible secrets, you have collected, read, and mentally stored them all. You share knowledge with a phoenix, have learned from the first vampire, crossed realms in the pursuit of knowledge, and your first task when finding yourself in a strange world was to seek more knowledge. You have borne witness to the devastation of an ancient dragon, the birth of the cradle of civilization, Remus, the realm of the gods, and the true face of the moons. You have attempted to warn others of the dangers of dragons, the threat of the shimagu, and the terrors of the fae realm. You have taught: a phoenix, medicine that shaped the world, stories that the whole world has heard, your apprentice , and the Sentinels. Direct divine censure was required to stop you spreading even more knowledge. You inspired the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft to be founded, and know the secrets to Thraximundar’s prison. You know where Valytheria the World Sunderer; The Shrouded Pestilence; the Rift of Eternal Night; the Whispering Madness; the Winter of Unending Sorrow; Nalara, the Voidstorm; the Pillars of Uncreation; and the Primordial Maelstrom, among others, are sealed away - and how to unseal them, should the need arise. You know the Secret of the Flock, the location of the River of Forgetting, and have seen the Ship. You are a legend, a myth, and a guardian of knowledge great and terrible.

Now take this class, and become the herald, the teacher, the living library, the [Ancient Loremaster of Legend]. +100 Dexterity, +100 Vitality, +800 Mana, 800 Mana Regeneration, +1600 Magic Power, +1600 Magic Control per level.

Well.

Fuck.

That was one hell of a black quality class, and I wasn’t exactly seeing any major downsides to it at first blush. But… seen the Ship? I had no idea what the Ship was, and my classes didn’t work here.

I read through the tales of what I’d do if I took the class, what life could be like. Lots of reading. Some high-level discussions with others, a careful feeling out of what they knew, what they didn’t know, and if we could or should trade information and knowledge. There was an interesting tension, where [Loremasters] wanted to know where all the dangerous spots were… but at the same time, we didn’t necessarily want to broadcast it to the world. Was the other person truly interested in protection and preservation, or were they delvers and adventurers, uncaring of the dangers presented, intent on breaking into the place and looting them dry?

Arachne’s desire to pass the knowledge on made a little more sense, and I had to imagine it wasn’t every day someone with a knowledge-focused class that she could reasonably trust almost literally fell into her lap.

I wasn’t thrilled with the idea that I’d need to chat with other [Loremasters] now and then and engage in potentially dicey situations… but it was a small part of the job, it wasn’t mandatory, and I had Iona, who could just peek at someone’s status and instantly know their classes and skills.

Seemed fine.

Still, I hadn’t gotten to where I was by snapping up the first good class I saw, and if this was the second one offered, how much better were the other two?

[Daring Dungeon Draco Delver] - More ancient than many dragons, your hoard is books and your treasure is knowledge. From the depths of the earth to the pillars of the sky, you have delved in search of knowledge. You leave no stone unturned in your quest, ever hungry for another scrap of information, another morsel to hold for yourself or share when the time is right. The secrets you hold could spell doom for a nation, or reshape history in your image. You have learned from the fae, from the first vampire, from the web weaver, from the gods and legends alike. You have seen the true face of the moons, the inside of a dragon's lair, the Indomitable Hall, the Ship, Faerie, the realm of the gods, and four different realms. You have beheld the birth of the Empire of Remus, the wrath of a god, and three different instances of major divine intervention. Your treasure is immeasurable, with knowledge of the Forbidden Archive, to the Den of the Dreamthief, the Lost Codex of Chaos to the Enigma of the Shattered Minds, from the Whispering Tomes to the Cursed Library of Ebonheart, from the Fractured Mirror to the Wailing Codices, and more. Go forth, little dragon, and build your hoard as you guard your tree of knowledge. +100 Strength, +100 Dexterity, +200 Speed, +200 Vitality, +200 Mana, + 200 Mana Regeneration, +200 Magic Power, +200 Magic Control per level.

This class was almost a betrayal of the [Loremaster] ideal, but there was an argument to be made that I could safely do the raiding. Most of the calamities sealed away couldn’t be released by accidentally tripping over a rock… but at the same time, most people didn’t leave gigantic piles of gems next to said calamity.

It was mostly looking to unseal them for whatever purpose they had at the time. Overthrowing a kingdom or something. That was nice, but ‘the king is overthrown because everyone is dead’ was generally considered a fail.

Not that it stopped utter idiots from contemplating it, according to Arachne. And the occasional Sentinel mission report she’d sent my way.

I’d gotten the course on [Loremaster], Arachne sharing tomes upon tomes of knowledge. We’d started with dragons, and I hadn’t quite realized the weight and significance of many of the things she’d shared with me until they started to appear by the dozen in my class offerings.

Now I was starting to get a little nervous. They were clearly significant, and knowing that the Tomb of the Last Emperor was near Sanguino was suddenly giving me pause.

The class was strong though, and looked to be in my wheelhouse, doing the things I wanted. I was almost sad to see it wasn’t dragon-themed though.

I was enjoying that.

The last one of the four Librarian had selected for me was the standard straight upgrade.

[Wyrm of Myth and Fable] - From ancient lore of dragons and how the world came to be, you are a scholar and bibliophile without peer. Before the world even knew what books were, you desired them, and no force upon Pallos could keep you from them. From the lair of a dragon to an island in the sky, you are the [Very Hungry Bookwyrm] unsatiated. Be they the most inconsequential of bedtime stories or the epics of the ancient Empire of Remus, you seek them out from the realm of the gods to Faerie itself. As a result, you often know firsthand the origin or story behind each legend. Those which you do not, you insatiably devour all the knowledge you can find from them, be they the secret tomes of Exterreri or the hidden library of the School of Spellcraft and Sorcery. Knowledge is power, and you attempt to seize all the knowledge of the world. +100 Strength, +100 Dexterity, +100 Speed, +100 Vitality, +400 Mana, +400 Mana Regeneration, +800 Magic Power, +800 Magic Control per level.

There was a lot more to the description, but so much of it was a repeat and an overlap with [Ancient Loremaster of Legend]. My offerings this time round were all pretty similar to each other, with slightly different directions.

[Scholar of the Scale] and [Daring Dungeon Draco Delver]were both right out. I didn’t want to become a [Historian] over a [Bookwyrm], and the class offered nothing interesting. Similarly, I was no adventurer. I wasn’t going to disturb the rest of the dead, or poke at disasters in the name of wealth and profit. I had both of those in spades, doing much more ethical and fulfilling work.

It came down to [Wyrm of Myth and Fable] versus [Ancient Loremaster of Legend], and frankly, the two of them were extremely close to each other, when viewed through certain lenses. [Wyrm of Myth and Fable] was a hair more up my alley. It was going to be easier to level, and didn’t have any tricky aspects to it.

At the same time, it was undeniably a ‘popcorn’ class, so to speak. It was purely for my own entertainment. There was no bettering the world.

I could do most of the [Loremaster] responsibilities with it.

On the other hand, [Ancient Loremaster of Legend] was potent. It would be a little harder to level - ignoring the companion bond force-feeding it levels - a little more outside the ‘natural’ wheelhouse of what I wanted to do, but not terribly so. It was like a tunic that was slightly too large, versus the perfectly fitting [Wyrm of Myth and Fable]. It was a bath that was a little too cool, versus one at the perfect temperature. It was a sandal one size too large.

The slight mismatch came with power, and I was more aware than before about how utterly outclassed I was on the world stage. How a single Immortal had idly plucked me out from millions, and forced me to dance her tune.

Comparing the two classes as a poorly sized tunic wasn’t right.

One was a tunic, perfectly fitting my body.

The other was a suit of armor, just a little too large.

But I could adjust the armor. Stuff a rag or two in to make it comfortable. I might level slower than I otherwise would, true, but my levels would be stronger. I was Immortal, I had the time. I could afford quality over speed. Again, Auri would be helping me level now, and the little phoenix was a potent source of experience.

I had to wonder if there were more secrets Arachne knew. More information I could gather. That would be perfect to level, far faster than [Wyrm of Myth and Fable], with the understanding that I’d slow down when it came to normal books in the library. The alternative was I might need to go to new lands, new places, and see if any of the [Loremasters] were willing to trade.

I suspected that was far harder than it sounded. I had to imagine that had been done ages ago, secrets swapped, new sealed horrors shared.

A tradeoff. A new lens.

It was good enough for me.

Best of all?

This was my 128 class-up. I - wait, I could just confirm it.

“If I had [Ancient Loremaster of Legend], I can swap back to a class more like [Wyrm of Myth and Fable] at 256, right?” I asked Librarian.

She nodded, with a bright and cheerful smile.

“Yup! The two are close.”

That was good enough for me.

“[Ancient Loremaster of Legend] please!” I said.

“Let’s go checkout.” Librarian said.

We went downstairs, quietly enjoying each other’s company, knowing it wasn’t going to be for long, knowing we’d see each other again all too soon.

I checked out.

“See you soon!” I gave Librarian a big hug, and she returned it, patting my back.

“I can’t wait!” She smiled the whole time the world of my soul dissolved, until I was waking back up in the real world.

I woke up to a flood of notifications, and immediately noticed that we had a visitor outside. I figured I’d check my notifications later, and went to see what was going on.

Our visitor was Sentinel Archmage, the vampire that used to be a gnome. She was about two inches tall, and was floating at eye-level with Iona.

“Archmage. Can I help you with anything?” I politely asked.

“Dawn. You’re awake, good. Ahem.” Archmage cleared her throat, and started to recite.

“To Sentinel Dawn,

In recognition of your unwavering commitment and exceptional service to the Empire, we, the members of the Ranger Command, do hereby acknowledge and rectify the oversight concerning your due compensation for the period of six years.”

Fuck yes! I was getting back pay! Six years of backpay! That was… literal millions of arcs. That was almost ‘how tall do you want your castle’ levels of pay! Not quite there… but most of our normal people money problems went away.

Six years felt a little weird. It was in the range that Night had mentioned - between no pay, up to sixteen max - but - ah!

That was it!

Sixteen was the max because it was ten years as a Sentinel in Remus, one for the fae realm, and five after exiting. Had to be that the ten years as a Sentinel in Remus hadn’t counted, but the rest did.

I quickly realized why it hadn’t counted.

They’d given it to my family. To my mother and father, a minor recompense for a daughter lost in the line of duty. It would never have come close to replacing my presence, but hopefully they never had to worry about coins for the rest of their days.

Archmage’s declaration continued.

“Upon thorough review of your accomplishments and steadfast dedication to the protection of our lands and people, we extend our deepest gratitude for your invaluable contributions. Your tireless efforts in maintaining the security and stability of our Empire have not gone unnoticed, and we are proud to count you among our ranks.

In accordance with the regulations and guidelines set forth by the Ranger Command, we shall provide the rightful payment for the aforementioned six years of service. The sum shall be settled in the form of the ancient coin of Remus, as was your method of pay for all those years of service.”

Hang on.

Wait.

No.

Archmage plowed on.

“Please accept this declaration as a token of our appreciation for your unwavering loyalty and outstanding service. The Ranger Command is honored to rectify this matter promptly and continue to support your endeavors as a Sentinel of our great Empire.

May your path remain true, and your courage never falter.

Sincerely,

Hecate

Commander of the Ranger Command”

As Archmage finished her declaration, she took a tiny pouch out from her waist, and turned it upside down. Iona stepped back as coins started to pour out of the bag, warping weirdly as they went from sand-grain sized to full-sized. Thousands, tens of thousands, millions of coins tumbled and jangled as they fell out, forming a small mountain twice as tall as Iona was of pure iron.

As the last one tumbled out, Archmage pulled out a letter, and gently floated it over to me.

“Letter from Sentinel Tyrannus. Bye.” Archmage said, teleporting out without another word.

Iona and I stared at each other with open mouths, wordlessly turning back to the now utterly obnoxious pile of iron in the middle of nowhere, and back to each other. Worst of all? That much iron was extremely valuable. Not as much as six years of pay, but enough that we couldn’t just ignore it. It was just going to be a huge pain converting it to cash. Finding a buyer, convincing them we were legit, bagging it all up, hauling it to Sanguino, bringing it through the city, dropping it off… and that was just what I could think off the top of my head! There were probably a dozen more tricky aspects to the whole thing.

Auri landed on my shoulder.

“Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpt.” She half-whistled, half-lamented how we’d ever move that much iron, wishing us the best of luck.

That helped me recenter myself. I stomped my foot and shook my fist in the general direction of Sanguino, where I was sure Night and Arachne were having a good laugh.

“I just knew Night had something up his sleeve with the backpay question!”

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