The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Asher Exitium: XXV

A killer on the loose: XXV

Filing books is boring. At least that's how Asher saw it. "Where on Toril is this supposed to go??" Asher asked as he picked up a small green book with black lettering on it. "And who writes black on dark green? They had to know you can't fucking read that." He added as he tried to wheel a cart of these books. Nearly five days ago, he had hired a private investigator to look over Lif's death with his party, but now? Asher had just been set on collecting coin for a few days.

"Oh that's on Keerg mythology, just place it on row five." Markos pointed over to a distant shelf as they sorted the books. Originally Asher had intended on requesting some down time work at the metal guild or even the wood guilds, he had contacted them for repairs on the house after all. It wasn't until Markos convinced him to go to TrollSkull's library and work in the occult section instead that he changed his mind.

"Come on Asher we'll work in the occult part of the library sort some books and such definitely won't end the world." Asher mocked Markos's words to himself. "And how on earth did you convince them to pay us so much for this?" He asked Markos as he tried to tell the difference between Celestial and Infernal writing.

"I am just very persuasive." Markos replied with a smile. Asher could almost feel his eye twitch, persuasive at converting people you mean he thought. Asher sighed, gripping two books and hauling them over to the Infernal section, the library's occult books were thankfully tucked into the back on a lower floor of the place to ensure those who shouldn't read them, didn't. He had spent the better part of this tenday working at this library with Markos while their furniture arrived, thank the gods for Riu giving Renaer that list of necessities, not to mention the top of which being; Beds! Asher made his way to the dusty red shelf. "Hey wait, what are you doing?" he stopped and groaned. Recalling everytime Vestus chastised him for mixing up Homer and the Iliad with the Odyssey.

"Putting these infernal books in the infernal section? Lemme guess Satan does go to Santa?" Asher replied. He looked to Markos who was intently staring at the two books in his hands. He frowned and Asher got the message.

"Those.. aren't Infernal..." Markos replied, "Hell none of the books here are infernal for that matter." Asher frowned and looked around at the books.

"Wait.. first of all, you read Infernal? And Second, how can NONE of the library's inventory be infernal, they have an entire shelf for infernal books." Asher protested his insane friend. Though he did note Markos seemed to be doing well today he was pretty proud of the guy.

"Yeah I read Infernal.." Markos admitted. "Though you are right.. Why are all the infernal books missing?" He and Markos took a quick moment to pour through the somewhat sorted books, looking at the various tomes on occult history and the mystical past. "Well it was probably all checked out?" Markos suggested. But Asher shook his head. That didn't make sense.

'All the infernal books checked out? It couldn't be a coincidence' Asher thought. 'There were so many as well.. A whole shelf was dedicated to just the history! No something else was going on here.' He paused his thoughts and looked closely at the shelf. "Markos, can you check who checked out all these books?" The half-elf quickly nodded.

"Yeah sure, shouldn't be much of a problem.." Markos opened a drawer to the right of the shelf flicking through the previous checkout "It's all one person by the name of Br-'' Markos stopped dead in his tracks.

*KreeeFooom!*

In the moment Asher could hear an ear piercing crackle from beyond the library a deep boom followed by screaming. It was a nearly identical yet muffled sound of Alekzandr's rifle.. No.. to a firearm he could tell the difference thank the House.