Filed into Obscurity

‘I have never heard such fantasy within our world…’ Files scattered around the Society archives, Zubaidah was making her own copies from each and every account she could find about Alma Torran. ‘I must admit that I was also rather astonished at first.’ As her colleague Trajan entered, a stack of files organised after Zubaidah has messed them in haste of reading, he took those accounts which she had finished.

‘Oh, only at first?’

‘If the Dungeons are fantastical, and our world has been connected with them before, then would not some of that fantasy pass into ours as well?’

‘I suppose so…’ Considering his words, Zubaidah put down her quill and closed her journal, interested in Trajan's outlook. ‘I must admit, I hadn’t thought of things that way.’

‘But when you account for magic tools and dungeon beasts, then our world has truly been influenced by the Dungeons.’

‘On the subject of dungeon beasts, have you read the file on the Red Lions?’ He pointed towards a certain file from the Shrouded Isles section, before seeing how dog-eared it had become. ‘I spent much of last night on that one, and I still cannot believe it...’

‘Fanalis are descended from Alma Torran’s tribes?’

‘You might call them the original dungeon beasts.’ Trajan seemed to be joking, but Zubaidah took the matter quite seriously. ‘I think the term ‘dungeon beast’ would be lacking!’

‘Those are something artificial. But the Fanalis? These are a real part of Alma Torran.’

As she gazed at the Shrouded Isles section with what seemed like longing, Trajan noticed that Zubaidah had a curious tome sat open upon her desk. ‘Is that one of your journals?’ It was filled with golden letters, not matching her hand nor any scholars he knew, and they seemed to pulse with each second. ‘Not mine, Furcas’.’

‘Oh…’

‘Wait, you have the journal of a Djinn?!’ He had read many accounts, and met with many Dungeon-divers, but this was something outlandish. ‘Of course!’ And yet, he accepted this was far too much ease, mired as he was within the fantasies of Alma Torran. ‘Hmm, I was told to prepare for anything…’

‘Then what are you looking for?’

‘I have been recording instances of tribes from Furcas’ journal, and comparing them with dungeon beasts from Dungeons.’

‘I have not found mention of the Red Lions thus far, but Caim and Bifrons have dungeon beasts that match tribes mentioned in Furcas’ journal.’

‘Should we presume that all dungeon beasts are based upon tribes from Alma Torran then?’

‘It seems the case, does it not?’

‘I believe that most dungeon beasts are transformed through a Djinn’s magic into the image of an Alma Torran tribe.’ She turned towards her account of Gürgrem and Constantine, before glancing towards some other fragments on a certain Diego, the only information she could find on Gremory, and some more anomalous ones. ‘But there are some dungeon beasts that were transformed without a Djinn - and without ever entering a Dungeon in some cases.’

‘Does that mean dungeon beasts are being created outside of Dungeons?’

Before he could respond, Zubaidah raised her hand in request for silence. Listening closely, she could hear that someone other than herself and Trajan was walking around the ground floor. Someone she was certain should not be there.

‘Did your colleagues state that they might be coming back this morning?’ She could hear footsteps padding up the first floor. ‘What do you mean? None of my colleagues work on weekends. I volunteered myself here to organise the remaining manuscripts.’ Soon enough, she could hear them reach the archive doors.

Unsheathing her spear, and speaking louder than before, Zubaidah came towards the doors. ‘Hmm, then I believe we might have an intruder.’ In response, the intruder flung the doors open and leapt towards Zubaidah. She was unfazed, and beat him down with her spear, before another intruder came for Trajan.

The man must have though him weak because he was a scholar, but he had been trained in the Reiman military. As a Cut came his way, Trajan parried him with his sword, receiving a light nick on his arm, before kicking the intruder towards Zubaidah.

As she introduced this man to her spear-end as well, however, a third intruder made themselves known. Zubaidah was made wary when she saw his staff, showing that he was a magician, but she had her own counter: a magic spear. And so, sending an Icicle her way, she broke through with a Red One Charge and threw him onto the floor.

Since the other two were knocked unconscious, and the magician seemed more skilled, Zubaidah came closer than comfortable and whispered into his ear, ‘Who sent you?’ As she spoke, she could feel his movements become sluggish, falling under the effects of Sugar and Spice, 'I was sent by the Spiders…’

As she continued speaking, her Silver Tongue spitting venom, Zubaidah could feel bile and hatred rising in her throat, ‘What was your objective?’ She had honoured her side of the deal with Fulvia, and now they threaten her still? 'My objective was preventing you from accessing the Society’s information…’

‘Why would they not want me to access this information?’ In some sense, she was curious what they wanted from the Society, or rather did not want Zubaidah finding out.

'I do not know…’

‘What connection do they have with this information?’ She was now more curious, and irritated, but his answer told her that this was fruitless.

'I do not know…’

But his answer gave her some ideas about how she might resolve the Spider issue, if only for a time.