The Castle

by Discombobulated Soul

I Found Out This Neat Trick

This library was amazing.

Long-abandoned stores of knowledge surrounded me, calling me with their ancient pages and near-unintelligible writing. The many dusty shelves spoke with immense power, opening my eyes to the incredible potential contained within. My horn was alight with magic as I levitated scores of choice volumes behind me, trotting happily along as I browsed for more books.

If this was a trap, it was working perfectly.

I found I couldn't really think about that, though; so immersed was I in the search for information that the thought never so much as reentered my mind.

Oh, sure, the looming hallways and low ceiling were creepy and all, but the sheer amount of words around me bade me not so much as notice. The ominous creaking, flickering candlelight, and faint inexplicable breezes all failed to register to me whatsoever.

The weirdest thing was that I could swear I heard the softest whispering coming from the many tomes. They communicated to me with intoxicating tones and enchanting speech, only serving to add to my glee.

Read us.

They said, and I nodded along in acceptance.

Learn our contents.

A beaming grin broke out across my face and I sat down to crack open the first book, unable to restrain myself any longer. The volume emitted a blast of dust when I separated its pages and it let out the most wonderful smell possible.

See the truth.

The book spoke to me. It taught me. It showed me the light.

I lost all sense of time while I read, so immersed was I. Still, I snapped out of my trance upon hearing a yipping howl, tensing in preparation.

It was one of those wolflike creatures: Tall, mangy, and slavering, with five legs and three jaws and that single pink eye which stared me down. It was standing menacingly at the beginning of the hallway, chewing lazily on what I recognized as a pony's hind leg.

I bolted, clutching my precious book close as I sprinted away, with the wolf giving chase soon after. Its fifth leg swung around as it ran, clawing madly at the shelves and destroying years' worth of treasured knowledge. I pumped my own legs with desperate vigor, crying out in mourning for the information which was so viciously taken from me by careless bestiality.

From my experience in this place, I knew exactly what I'd done wrong that led to this: I had stayed in one location for far too long and they had tracked me down.

From my reading of the book I magically clamped so tight against my back, though, I knew exactly what to do about it.

Flaring my horn to cast the spell I had just learned, I conjured the weapon which would give me my salvation. It appeared within my telekinetic field, willing and ready to serve its master.

Just in time, too, because the wolf was getting far too close. They always caught up to me eventually, their longer legs far outpacing my short, stubby ones.

Taking in a breath of preparation, I spun around and backed into the wall, threateningly aiming the knife at its target. The wolf skidded to a halt, its single beady eye staring in what could almost be called alarm, were it not a rabid monster. We stood there in a standoff for several tense moments, mere feet separating us as the library creaked and settled.

Idiotically, I couldn't stop myself from casting a glance back at where we'd come, and a gasp of sadness exploded from me upon seeing the destroyed shelves. This triggered the wolf to snarl madly, lunging at me with incredible speed while its three jaws snapped as one.

I was faster.

The blade sunk into flesh with a dreadful ripping sound, its serrated surface doing its job with utter perfection. The wolf yipped, howled, and barked at the same time, staggering away from me as its eye bulged in surprise. I stood triumphantly as it scrambled away, but frowned when it desecrated yet another row of shelves on its way out.

That frown quickly evolved into a pained grimace, and I dropped my gaze to survey the damage. The knife stuck out of my leg at an odd angle, spurts of blood covering its hungry, loyal form. I grunted in pain as I tore it out, sighing in relief when further inspection revealed I'd successfully missed any major arteries or muscles.

It should have been obvious, but I'd never once so much as considered it: Fighting back at the creatures never worked, but of course injuring myself would.

The library was silent, seemingly satisfied that I'd uncovered its greatest secret: How to survive in here.

I bound my leg with a stray tablecloth, grinning hugely through the pain and finally secure in the knowledge that I didn't have to run anymore.

Now, I could fight back.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

One wonders if this is weird horror logic at work, or just some spectacular psychotic break.

Only one way to find out...