//------------------------------// // 43. Tipping the Scales // Story: The Trials of Shmarity: an Ogres and Oubliettes Story // by TheMessenger //------------------------------// 43. Tipping the Scales The return trip to the entrance tower was thankfully just as calm and quiet as her initial journey to the temple had been, but it definitely felt longer and more arduous thanks to Rarity’s injuries. The seriousness of her wounds had been significantly mitigated by the properties of the potion she downed, her various burns, bruises, and swells reduced from life threatening status to a more manageable moderate discomfort, but that moderate discomfort was still enough to make traveling through the desert dunes a painful ordeal. By the time she dusted the sand off her hooves and stepped onto the paved streets of the town, it was late afternoon, and there was nothing that Rarity, with her energy all but spent from yet another physically exhausting, mentally trying, emotional rollercoaster of day, wanted to do more than to throw herself into bed and sleep her aches and sores and the rest of her problems away. She got up the next morning feeling refreshed and completely pain free. The rest of Rarity wounds had healed overnight, just as with the ones she sustained during the acquisition of Halaster’s horn. Said instrument could be seen peeking out of her saddlebags, and as Rarity walked over to the pack she had carelessly discarded in her tired state and picked it up, the flap fell open, causing the contents within to spill out. Rarity nearly jump at the sight of an equine skull rolling amongst her scattered dungeoneering gear, the items she had taken from the silver masked marek and the scroll that would bring Spike and Discord back to life. Seeing the scroll from Valmeyjar’s temple caused her to recall the events from yesterday and recognize the skull for what it was, which made her heart rate rocket even higher as she realized how flippantly she had treated the Moonmaiden’s new vessel, having just tossed it to the ground with the rest of her junk. Slowly, cautiously, Rarity lifted the skull off the ground and set it on the mattress so that it sat eye level to her as she knelt. “Lady Selune?” she whispered. “Are you there?” The skull began to illuminate as blue lights filled the holes meant for eyes. “I am, Princess Shmarity of Spiketopia,” the voice of Selune rang out. “Do you have need of me?” Rarity sighed out in relief. “No, not particularly. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” She struggled to think of something to say before her pause became more awkward. “Hm. So. Are you getting used to your, new accommodations?” The blue light brightened briefly before dimming back down. “It is odd. For the first time in several millennia, since my decline, I am able to see and experience the world outside Valmeyjar’s temple, and yet this body restricts my ability to do much beyond observing my direct surroundings.” The skull suddenly wobbled over and tipped onto its side. “It might be due to this one’s diluted divinity or perhaps it is because of the undead corruption this body suffers. Whatever the reason, it will take some time to get use to and to determine the extent of my power in this form, and I ask that unless my assistance is needed, you will leave me undisturbed to do so.” “Oh. Yes, of course. My apologies.” A satisfied hum came from the skull as its light faded into tiny pinpoints. Rarity put the skull back upright then returned to the mess on the ground. After making sure that nothing was damaged, she got to repacking her bags. Her gear was put away first, then Halaster’s trumpet, then that all important magic scroll, then the looted book, which Rarity regarded with guilt-riddled curiosity. “Now Rarity, as a mare with your own private journal, you know very well that there are few transgressions less forgivable than reading one’s diary without one’s permission,” Rarity muttered to herself as she held the book away from her at leg’s length. She started to put the book away but stopped. “But then again, I suppose the owner isn’t exactly around to give either her permission or her forgiveness anyways, so what does it matter? And then there’s the possibility that she might have written down something in here on her employer, and really, am I really in any sort of position where I can turn away a potential source of useful information on the Squid Wizard?” The book in her hooves flipped opened to its middle pages even while Rarity was still trying to justify her nosiness and blatant disregard for the owner’s privacy to herself. She gasped, as if the opening of the book was completely accidental, and quickly moved to cover her eyes. It only took a couple of seconds before curiosity won and her attempts to maintain an air of innocence fell apart as she peeked past the hoof she raised over her face and looked down at the exposed page before her. To her disappointment, the page’s contents were more or less illegible. The page was jammed with letters, of which only a few Rarity managed to recognize, written in such a fashion that had them all curved and connected to one another in a flowing script that might have looked graceful if the writer had bothered with spacing. As it was now, everything was so closely packed together, with some letters even bleeding over their neighbors, it was impossible to tell where one word ended and the next began. The next page was worse as now the text wasn’t even formatted in standard lines. Instead, the jumble of letters twisted and turned like worms wiggling across the page, and some looped around to form rings and other shapes. The next few pages Rarity sped through were equally as frustrating, and by the time she got to the last filled page in which the text had been arranged into a visual depiction of a dragon setting a field ablaze, she was feeling too annoyed to appreciate the surprising amount of detail that had been put into the doodle. She slammed the book shut with a irked huff and placed it back on the floor next to the other items she had taken off the mare in the silver mask, namely the polished wood wand she had used to create those fiery balls of destruction, the trio of scrolls that had been tucked inside the book, the now empty wallet, its holdings already added to Rarity’s own purse along with the few coins that the diamond dog and Rowdy had, and the little bag that contained a medley of gems. A quick check revealed that only a few of the gems were up to her standards, the rest too small or having too many imperfections, but it wasn’t as though they’d be much use to Rarity now anyways. For that matter, neither was the wand after Rarity gave it a few cautious waves which resulted in absolutely nothing. The scrolls, if they were anything like the scroll from Selune that had the spell of resurrection sealed within, might be a bit more useful if Rarity could figure out what they were for and if anyone in town could and would be willing to activate their magic for her. And if that weren’t the case, then she could probably at least sell them in addition to the wand and the gems off somewhere for a few shiny gold pieces. Her planned rescue of Spike and Discord and the likely subsequent encounter with the Squid Wizard was still some ways away, but there was much preparing that needed to be done until then, and every little bit right now helped. Perhaps she could even raise enough funds to purchase one of those robes that supposedly provided protection against flames or blades. Wishful thinking perhaps considering how expensive those particular robes were, but the potions and less flashy magical equipment out there that were more reasonably priced had their uses as well, and who knew, Rarity might have enough for a mercenary mage like Elkraps had suggested, maybe two if they were especially desperate for work. She packed everything away, the wand, the book and scrolls, the gems, and after some hesitation, the skull housing the Moonmaiden. As much as Rarity wanted to avoid disturbing Selune, she didn’t feel safe leaving her here all alone, so into the the bag the skull went, carefully, of course, and only after there had been no protest from the goddess when Rarity picked up her vessel to move it. Then it was down the stairs and out the inn’s front door as Rarity made her way through the weaving streets until she reached her destination. There before her was a small, dimly lit building with a dull blue canopy and a display case of various knickknacks ranging from books to dolls to a complete set of silver dinnerware behind a dusty window. Its entrance consisted of both a large, somewhat rusted gate in front and a standard, run-of-the-mill wooden door right behind it, and hanging from the gate’s old iron bars was a sign that read ‘Welcome, We’re Open’ and had a faded image of a small brown chess piece. Not exactly the most welcoming scene nor was it the kind of establishment Rarity would have sought out on her own, but the place had the Hag’s Haven’s recommendation for its cheap appraisals and decent bids. It was where Rarity had sold all those silver plates from Valmeyjar’s temple at a price she really couldn’t complain about, and the lack of judgment from the attendant over the plunder’s source didn’t hurt. The gate swung with a creak as Rarity pulled it back, and when she pushed the door behind it open, the shrill clank of a broken bell rang throughout the store. Inside was as cluttered and disorganized as the display behind the glass, with tables and shelves scattered about the room that held a seemingly random assortment of toys, kitchen appliances, scraps of clothing, preserved insects, jewelry, stacks of paintings, cages empty save for tuffs of fur or feathers, musical instruments of wood, brass, and even bone, massive bound tomes to loose pamphlets, even a number of daggers and swords as well as a full suit of armor shoved in one corner. It might have been easier to list the items that weren’t among the wares, which even included things Rarity couldn’t recognize like a heavy looking box with a pane of glass on one side that made her reflection appear upset, no matter what angle she looked at it from. A few small orbs of light floated above, giving off the bare minimum light necessary to see and navigate through the maze of merchandise. Slowly, Rarity walked to the end of the store, looking around for the clerk. “Hello?” she called out. “I’m here to get some items evaluated and possibly sold.” “Ah. Yes, of course,” came a low voice from behind Rarity, causing her heart to nearly beat out of her chest. At least she didn’t shriek out loudly and try to take the poor shopkeeper’s head off with her dagger like her first time here, a fact Rarity took no pride in as she turned to face the pony standing behind her. They were an older stallion, ashy white gray with a grayish purple mane that was braided back into a long ponytail. He wore a brown tunic over a white long sleeved undershirt, and there was a red scarf around his neck. The top of his head had a pointed hat with a folded brim, and as he adjusted the pince-nez style glasses perched upon his snout, he gave Rarity a small small. “Hello, dear customer,” the stallion said, continuing in that soft, raspy tone, like a cross between a whisper and a croak, that toed the line of just being audible. “My apologies for the sudden, ah, it’s you I see. And more to sell?“ “That’s right,” Rarity answered. She followed the shopkeeper to the counter in the back of the store, and like with all the surfaces here, it was covered in miscellaneous items. “Well, I suppose returning suppliers are good for business too,” he said with a sigh and a grunt as he walked around to the other side and cleared some room on the countertop. “Tea?” he offered, gesturing to a tray carrying a complete porcelain set. “Not today, thank you,” she said politely. A nice cup of hot tea did sound wonderful, but her thirst was killed by the thick layer of dust covering the tea cups. “Straight to business then. I can certainly appreciate that.” He cleaned the lens of his spectacles with a pocket handkerchief with one hoof, and with his other he gestured to the open space before him and Rarity. “Now, as always, there will be a nonnegotiable evaluation fee, a more than fair twenty gold.” The required amount made its way from Rarity’s side of the counter to the stallion’s. His grin grew as he scooped up the coins. “Wonderful. Now, what do you have for me today?” The bag of gems was first. The stallion opened the bag and shook the stones out. After examining them carefully under a magnifying glass for a few minutes, he looked up. “Well, pretty little things, aren’t they? Unfortunately, only the rubies will be worth much as spell components.“ He hummed. “I’ll give you twenty five gold for the whole lot. You might find a better deal at a craft shop or maybe a desperate jeweler, but with these not being the best quality, that’s a pretty big might.” “Very well,” Rarity said with a sigh. She had expected as much from her own assessment, but the disappointment still stung. “If that’s the best you can do for me, then I accept.” “Good, good,” muttered the stallion as he jotted something down in his ledger. “Now, was there’s anything else?” The mare’s wallet netted her a measly five copper coins while the wand was deemed worthy of two golden ones. From there they moved on to the scrolls from the masked mare, the sight of which caused the shopkeeper’s face to light up. “Ah. Finally, something worth taking a look at,” he said as he untied the ribbons that were keeping the scrolls shut and unraveled them over the counter, exposing the strange symbols and shapes that were written upon each parchment to the light. “Let’s see here, hm, hm, yes.” Some several minutes passed before he had finished his examination. “This one,” he said, pointing his hoof at the scroll in question, “has a spell of dimension door inscribed into it. Powerful spell and very useful. I’m offering you, two hundred gold for it.” He waited for Rarity to response with a nod before moving on. “Now as this one, this one is a spell scroll for haste. Useful as well but fairly common around these parts, I’m afraid. I’d be more than happy to take it off your hooves for fifty gold.” As far as Rarity could tell, the offered prices were more than reasonable, but it wouldn’t hurt to try for a little extra. “I don’t suppose,” she said hesitantly, biting down lightly on her lower lip before giving a small smile and a flutter of her lashes, “there’d be a small bonus for providing the both of them, would there? Perhaps as a little recognition for a returning supplier?” The stallion chuckled. “If you’ll sell me both spell scrolls here and now, I’ll throw in an additional ten gold for a total of two hundred and sixty, but that’s as high as I’m willing to go. Do we have a deal?” Well, it was something at least. Rarity nodded then turned to the third and final scroll. “And that one?” she asked. “Ah. Yes. That one.” The stallion’s grin faded slightly. “That right there is a teleport scroll. Very rare, even within the schools, and normally I’d pay top coin for the chance to add that to my wares. Unfortunately, it seems that a destination has already been set for it, severely limiting its usefulness and value. Now, if I at least knew what this destination was and where the scroll would end up taking you, I’d might still be willing to pay a good price for it, but as it is now, I can’t buy this.” He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, even for me. For all we know, it might take you straight to the bottom of an ocean or inside a volcano.” Rarity frowned as she took a second to think. “Would it be possible to determine where or what the set destination is?” “Possible?” The shopkeeper rocked his head side to side as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Well yes, but it would be very difficult. Seems as though whoever prepared this spell wanted to keep all that a secret, and it would take a much crafter creature than I to figure that mystery out.” He rerolled the teleportation scroll and gave it back to Rarity. “So that’ll be two sixty for the scrolls, plus another twenty seven and five copper for the rest. Was there anything else you wanted to sell to me? The band of protection around your leg for instance, or maybe...” His eyes fell to Rarity’s neck, and he ran his tongue over his lips as Rarity’s hoof immediately went up to clasp the Queen of Fey’s symbol beneath her robes. “My offer still stands,” the stallion said. “Ten, no, make that twelve thousand gold for your necklace plus anything in my store, anything at all, that catches your fancy.” “A generous offer, but as I said the last time, the necklace is not for sale,” Rarity said, though there was a noticeable delay before she responded. That was a lot of gold she was saying no to, gold that could potentially be better put to use than the last bit of magic the symbol contained. And yet, Rarity knew fully well that if it had not been for the Queen and the magic they had lent to her, she would not have gotten this far. Money was nice and all, but loyalty and relations were worth a great deal more, and who knew if or when that final fey favor would be needed. She shook her head, both in answer to the proposal and to do away with any further doubts and temptations. “But I do have one more item I’d like you to take a look at.” Rarity took out the final item, the mare’s unintelligible journal. “I’m not sure if it’s really worth anything since it’s been used, but it still has a few clean pages.” “Hm, I see.” The stallion spent a minute flipping through the first few pages before closing the book and putting it back down on the counter. “Best I can do is a hundred gold.” “I beg your pardon?” Rarity let out a small, uncertain titter. “I’m sorry. I thought I heard you say one hundred gold for the book.” “Yes, well, I’m afraid that the spells in here are all pretty bog-standard. Fireball, mage armor, magic missile, shield, your typical affair, really, and it’s not even all that full. Still, there is a market for used spell books, especially amongst the youngsters who haven’t earned their access to the schools’ private libraries.” He motioned to the shelves behind him which were stuffed with books of all shapes and sizes. “So one hundred gold, and I can guarantee that you won’t find a better price anywhere else.” “Done,” Rarity exclaimed a little too quickly in her surprise and excitement. She cleared her throat. “Ahem, I mean, that will be acceptable, thank you. And that will be all for today.” The stallion nodded and placed the book to the side with the rest of the store’s newest additions. He took out his ledger and started to write. “Now then, before we conclude our business, perhaps you’d like to take a look around and see if anything catches your eye. You look like the fashionable type. Well, I got a new selection of hats the other day that you might find some interest in.” He pointed to the rack of gaudy headwear behind him with the back of his pen. “Each one has its own unique effect. That one over there, on the very left, will turn you into the opposite gender when you put it on, for instance, and that one’ll turn your mane green and your coat brown.” “Do you have any magic potions?” Rarity asked, fighting back a grimace at the imagined image of herself in those colors whilst wearing a hot pink, blue striped fez. “Potions? No, I’m afraid not.” The stallion laughed nervously. “I’m, er, not supposed to sell consumables ever since, well, the details aren’t important. Too experimental, too risky.” He shook his head. “Yes, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere for those, although I do have a teapot around here somewhere that will turn any liquid brewed within into a fast acting laxative. Why, if I’m not mistaken, it‘s this one right here.” He patted the teapot sitting on the tray. “It’s yours for only twenty five gold.” Again, Rarity resisted the urge to make a face, keeping her composure as she was filled with relief over her refusing the proprietor’s earlier hospitality. “If no potions, then would you happen to have any protective gear? Not armor, per se,” she added with a quick glance at the full suit of plate mail stacked in the corner. “Preferably something light.” “Ah. I do have a few pieces, but you may want to check the crafting district. They will have a wider selection and of higher quality, but it comes at a higher cost of course. I mostly just get the scraps and leftovers from the apprentices.” The stallion left the counter and motioned Rarity to follow him. “This cape here, for example,” he said, pulling out a large tattered square of orange cloth, “has some properties that might interest you. Don’t let it’s appearance deceive you. The fabric has been enchanted to be tough enough to deflect blows, blades, and even magic, to a degree. Look.” From the same table, he drew a wicked dagger and stabbed it into the cloth. The cape resisted the dagger’s sharp, jagged tip, and when he presented the cloth to Rarity, she found no sign of damage. “Now, I should warn you that there are a few unfortunate effects,” he continued as Rarity continued to examine both the cape along with the demonstrative dagger. “Wearing it will reportedly make you more susceptible to certain magical effects, charms and enchantments and such. With that in mind, we’re looking at around, oh, a discounted two hundred seventy five gold. What do you think?” Rarity frowned as she stretched the cloth out and let one side fall heavily onto the floor. “I think it’s rather large, for a cape,” she said. If anything, its size made it better suited as the comforter of a bed than an article of clothing and not for some tiny child’s cot either. “I can’t imagine it be very easy to move around in this.” “Yes, well, I suppose not.” The shopkeeper rubbed the back of his head. “The cloth’s durability does mean any attempts to shorten it will end in failure, unfortunately. Hm, what if I took off another twenty five?” Two hundred fifty gold was still a good chunk of her earnings, and the protection the cloth could have given her just wasn’t worth all its downsides. She shook her head and placed the cloth back on the table after folding it neatly. “Did you have anything else? Again, it should be something light and easy to carry around.” “Light and easy to carry. Hm, yes, right this way.” The stallion led the way to some drawers in the back, and after a bit of rummaging, he produced both an anklet of brass with the image of a shield pressed into it and what appeared to be a single shoulder pad of tanned and treated cloth that had some indecipherable runes stitched into its surface. He held the anklet out to Rarity first. “This band has the spell shield attached to it. Simply raise the hoof it’s around and shout to form a protective magic barrier for next few seconds. It’ll only work once per day, however, so obviously best saved for emergencies.” The wide ring of brass was set to one side while the stallion presented his second item. “Now this here is an interesting little device. Just strap it to your shoulder and press down on this little symbol like so for a second of two, and you’ll be under the protection of the mage armor spell. The effects only last for about a minute instead of the standard eight hours, however, and like the shielding band, there is only one daily use. Still, despite those limitations, both items can be very useful in the right hooves and are, as you requested, very portable. Affordable too. The only issue would be the matter of attunement.” “I’m sorry, the matter of?” “Attunement. Maybe you’ve heard it under a different term, but some magic items require a, let’s call it a bond with them and their user before they can operate,” the shopkeeper explained. He pointed to the anklet and the shoulder pad. “Like these two. Now, for whatever reason, we can only attune to three items. The schools’ eggheads might know more about how it actually works, but attempting more than three causes the older items to lose their attunement. You’ve already got two items attuned to you, that necklace of yours plus the band you’re wearing, so you’d only be able to make use of one of these here. That is, unless of course, you were to sell me one of yours to make some room.” Rarity caught the shopkeeper’s gaze wandering back down to her neckline, but she ignored it to instead focus on these new restrictions and her options. As useful as the two items being presented to her sounded, selling the Queen of Fey’s symbol wasn’t happening. The bronze anklet that was currently around her leg, however, might be worth the trade. She held up her hoof and let her sleeve roll down, exposing the anklet. “How much would I get for this piece?” “For that I’d be willing to, hm.” The shopkeeper appeared to struggle for an answer as he scratched his chin and hemmed and hawed. “I mean, even if it’s been used, it’s still a very good find. Oh, alright, I’ll tell you what. If you give me that bangle, I’ll let you take both of these home with you for absolutely no cost whatsoever. How does that sound?” The offer certainly sounded appealing, it was two items for the price of one after all, and after a short consideration, Rarity removed the bronze anklet from her leg and gave it to the shopkeeper. In return, the brass anklet and the shoulder pad went over to her. “So how does this attuning work?” she asked the stallion as she followed him back to the store’s counter to conclude their business. “What would I have to do?” “Oh not much. Just wear them for a few hours until they start feeling comfortable, then maybe practice using them so you get a feel of how they work,” he explained. He got out a pair of scales and, with a strained groan, a set of weights and placed them all down on the counter, right between himself and Rarity. “And will you be wanting something for some offense to go with all that extra defense? I do have a nice selection of blades that cause their wielders to suffer from only the mildest of curses. Perhaps a nice rapier to go with your dagger? I have one made from real silver, if you’re interested. Well worth the potential argyria if you asked me, and the poisoning is only temporary anyways.” As elegant as such a sword sounded, the kind one might expect to see on the cover of a romance novel, strapped to the side of a handsome prince, Rarity understood that while she could now say she was at least somewhat proficient in dagger work, she most definitely could not say the same about swordplay. Playing around with anything larger would more likely cause harm to herself than to any foes, and she had neither the time nor the instruction for proper practice. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to see what daggers were available. Having at least one other spare would probably be a good idea given Rarity’s track record of losing her weapons. Her current one worked fine, but from her last bout, the curved southern blade appeared to have a more difficult time piercing through fur and flesh than the obsidian one that Elder Woods had given her. It’s be nice to replace the weapon she had left lodged in the shin of that troll, a misfortune Rarity continued to curse, but the store didn’t seem to have anything suitable. Oh, there were magical daggers, blades that guided their user to strike their target true, blades that upon finding their way into flesh would become serrated to deal extra damage and pain, even one particular blade that when thrown would create a massive arc of lightning in path, but Rarity didn’t want to deal with the risks of her own weapon suddenly turning against her or smelling like rotting cabbages every time she used it. “I think I’ll be fine without anything new, for now,” she eventually said. “That’ll be everything.” The shopkeeper nodded and began to carefully weigh out stacks of gold coins on the scale. Once the two sides were balanced, the stallion scooped the coins into a decently sized bag and pushed the bag over to Rarity. “There you are, that’s three hundred and eighty seven gold for the two spell scrolls, the spell book, the wand, and the gems. Oh, and five copper for the wallet.” Five copper coins made it to Rarity’s side as well. Rarity pocketed the bag and coins in her saddlebags, put away her new equipment, and after exchanging some final pleasantries, Rarity left the dark, dusty shop and stepped out into the bright streets. There were still the various potion shops to browse as well as the crafting district that the pawn store attendant had suggested checking out, but before Rarity could start burning through her newly acquired funds, she had a couple of things to take care of first. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Rarity dug through her bags, moving items around and redistributing the weight to better accommodate the heavy bag of gold. She then put on her new brass bangle and held up her foreleg like she had been instructed. Nothing happened, but based on what the shopkeeper had told her, that was to be expected. Hopefully, by the end of the hour, the band would fit better too. Rarity took out and considered donning her other new piece of gear as well, for about a second before her fashion sense kicked in and she recognized just how silly she’d look walking around town with a single pad on her shoulder. It would probably be better to try it on in private, so back into her bags it went, and as she was shuffling through them, her hoof caught onto something. The spell scroll of teleportation came out of the bag as she withdrew, the loop of ribbon keeping the parchment rolled up having gotten caught around Rarity’s hoof. “I supposed I should probably look into where this would end up taking me. Just one more thing to get done,” she said with a sigh as she leaned back and held the scroll up to the sky. “Maybe Dean Thigliwt could figure that out, though I’d hate to bother her over something like this.” “The scroll will teleport you straight to the keep of the Squid Wizard’s fortress.” Rarity immediate sat up and looked around for the speaker, but the only creatures who were nearby were the few pedestrians strolling past without paying any heed to her. Suddenly, Rarity noticed that her bags had grown warm, and when she opened them, she had to squint through the light that was coming from within. She gave the area one more scan to confirm that there was no one around who might be watching before reaching into the bag and removing the glowing skull that housed Selune. A projection of the alicorn came forth and stood before Rarity, her translucent form barely visible in the light of the sun. “Was that you?” Rarity asked, to which Selune answered with a nod. “I am able to access not only the memories of this mare from the time when she was alive, but also from when her body was just a vile puppet under the Squid Wizard’s control,” said the ailcorn. It was a little jarring to hear her voice come from the skull in Rarity’s hooves rather than from the image standing in front of her. “That may be due to this body’s previous animation by dark magic, but in any case, the spell contained in this scroll is connected to a teleportation circle in the basement of the Squid Wizard’s keep and would bring us there once activated. It would appear that the Squid Wizard had this scroll prepared so that his servants could bring you immediately and directly to him upon your recapture.” “Oh. Well then that encounter could have ended very poorly for me.” Rarity let out a nervous chuckle as her throat constructed and dried. “That’s one disaster dodged.” “Indeed. I am uncertain as to if the owner of that store will accept the scroll now that its destination is known nor do I know if a one way passage to the basement of a magical squid despot would be worth much.” The image of Selune shrugged. “Considering the spell’s intended purpose, it may be best to simply dispose of the scroll. As long as it is around, you will be at greater risk of being delivered to the Squid Wizard.” She started to fade. “That is my counsel, but what to do with the scroll is ultimately your decision.” The skull became silent, and much of its glowing subsided, with the lights in the place of its eyes remaining. Rarity put the skull back into the bag first before returning her attention to the scroll. Staring at the roll of parchment, she shuddered. If things was gone any differently yesterday during the attack in Valmeyjar’s temple, Rarity could’ve been in the Squid Wizard’s custody right this very moment, and who knew if she’d get a chance to escape a second time. Selune was right, the scroll was dangerous, and the safest and smartest option certainly would be to render this easy avenue into the Squid Wizard’s clutches unusable. Her thoughts should have been about how one went about destroying a magic scroll, but as Rarity continued to consider the Squid Wizard’s scroll and Selune’s words, her mind went in a different direction. The idea that worm its way into her head was risky, dangerous, and desperate, but as it quickly expanded from a simple idea to the blueprints of a plan, it began to gain appeal. It wasn’t the safest option, and it probably wasn’t the smartest either, but it was an option that Rarity decided was worth looking into. She stored the scroll away and got up. There was still much had needed to be done today, and though her itinerary hadn’t really changed, she at least now had something to focus on and work towards.