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He flipped another page of the book, trying his best to ignore the smell of stale ale that seemed to pervade everything in the rented room. He had done his best to tidy up, had even dragged one of the bigger storage crates over to one side, and used a smaller crate as a stool for his new makeshift desk. However, the smell of ale seemed resistant to even the most industriously cast prestidigitations. He glanced over at the rows of old oak barrels lining the back wall again in annoyance; they were almost certainly the cause.
As he continued reading intently, one hand toyed idly with the glyph-covered iron bangle on his left wrist, turning and rubbing it absentmindedly. As time passed, a strange sensation seemed to enter his consciousness. The bracelet seemed to be getting warmer….was it just his imagination? Suddenly his heart began to race, a feeling of panic washing over him. It was definitely becoming hotter now, to the point of discomfort, accompanied by a ringing in his ears, rising to an ear-piercing crescendo. He grasped his wrist in pain, biting his lip to keep from crying out; that would attract attention he did not need.
Suddenly the noise stopped. He looked down at his wrist in both relief and apprehension, the pain was gone, and the bangle felt as cold as ice against his skin.
“An interesting read” the voice seemed to come from directly behind his ear, rasping, like the last breath of a dying man. He spun around, only to find the room empty, his only company the old barrels along the wall.
“But don’t you have something to do other than reading, hrm?” the raspy voice asked pleasantly, and before he had a moment to think, the voice rose to a deafening volume, practically dripping with rage.
“HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE TASK I GAVE YOU?! DO NOT TOY WITH ME…. I AM PATIENT, BUT MY PATIENCE HAS LIMITS!”
The pain in his wrist surged back, but now it felt like it suffused his entire being. He toppled from the stool, ending face down on the wood floor, incapable of anything but twitching, unable even to cry out.
“BRING ME WHAT I SEEK, AND YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU DESIRE. BUT DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE BEYOND MY REACH. I WILL BE WATCHING…. ALWAYS”
Suddenly the voice, and the pain, was gone. The room seemed engulfed in silence for a moment, before the noise of the rowdy taproom below slowly seeped into his consciousness. He lay there for an indeterminate amount of time, breathing raggedly. When he finally did drag himself shakily to his feet, the tears on his face had already dried. With a clenched jaw, he leaned over and snapped shut the book before walking out the room.
As he continued reading intently, one hand toyed idly with the glyph-covered iron bangle on his left wrist, turning and rubbing it absentmindedly. As time passed, a strange sensation seemed to enter his consciousness. The bracelet seemed to be getting warmer….was it just his imagination? Suddenly his heart began to race, a feeling of panic washing over him. It was definitely becoming hotter now, to the point of discomfort, accompanied by a ringing in his ears, rising to an ear-piercing crescendo. He grasped his wrist in pain, biting his lip to keep from crying out; that would attract attention he did not need.
Suddenly the noise stopped. He looked down at his wrist in both relief and apprehension, the pain was gone, and the bangle felt as cold as ice against his skin.
“An interesting read” the voice seemed to come from directly behind his ear, rasping, like the last breath of a dying man. He spun around, only to find the room empty, his only company the old barrels along the wall.
“But don’t you have something to do other than reading, hrm?” the raspy voice asked pleasantly, and before he had a moment to think, the voice rose to a deafening volume, practically dripping with rage.
“HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE TASK I GAVE YOU?! DO NOT TOY WITH ME…. I AM PATIENT, BUT MY PATIENCE HAS LIMITS!”
The pain in his wrist surged back, but now it felt like it suffused his entire being. He toppled from the stool, ending face down on the wood floor, incapable of anything but twitching, unable even to cry out.
“BRING ME WHAT I SEEK, AND YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU DESIRE. BUT DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE BEYOND MY REACH. I WILL BE WATCHING…. ALWAYS”
Suddenly the voice, and the pain, was gone. The room seemed engulfed in silence for a moment, before the noise of the rowdy taproom below slowly seeped into his consciousness. He lay there for an indeterminate amount of time, breathing raggedly. When he finally did drag himself shakily to his feet, the tears on his face had already dried. With a clenched jaw, he leaned over and snapped shut the book before walking out the room.
