The Dark Order 1.6: The Silent Treatment

Begin at Chapter 1.1

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In the Western Realm, there's a Northwestern seafaring town called Lizna, that delivers the best turtle lobster bisque, has the best view of the ocean, the best beaches, and just for tonight, has the best tavern in Valon nestled waterside.

Unlike any night at Franklin's, there's a lawful order posted outside.

By Order of the House of Sevine:

• Any foreigner conducting profitable business in the realm must pay an unwelcome tax of Five Hundred Thousand Rolkan.
• Failure to pay tax when due will result in imprisonment for no less than Two Elvian years.
• Failure to pay tax before departure from the realm will result in death.
• Failure to pay tax due to Western Bias will result in death.
• Failure to serve Western patrons and the military will result in death.
• Attacks of any kind from foreign violators will result in death.

There's a BLUE SYMBOL STAMPED at the bottom of the order. It's an S.

As patrons step inside, they're met with stomach pain laughter, and the hand of Franklin, expecting the entry fee of Ten Thousand Rolkan. A few of the entering guests aren't feeling the pay-to-enter nonsense. There's a slightly drunken, White male waiting in line. He's getting impatient.

"Seriously? He's putting a fee on entry for this shithole."

"Hey douchbag, I can hear you." Franklin's leaning around the person in front of them, he's got a stogie gripped between his smooth, nearly perfect, slightly yellowed teeth. He grabs it so he can speak. "Should I break your nose now or later?"

He's sporting a full-face beard, goatee, signature slacks, dress shirt, and suspenders. He smiles. "I'm kidding, unclench your ass" shaking his head, "There's plenty liquor and beer, the grills going, and there's somebody for everybody."

They pay the fee and hurry off inside. There are several different factions present. You've got humans, both magical and non-magic, Great Elves, a few Beast-men present, a female Badger, and a Red-Tailed Fox, military from the North.

Great Elves, an advanced species, not Human or Monster but somewhere in between. Males range from eight to ten feet. Females range from seven to nine. However but one race, their skin color varies. Their eyes are a PERIDOT GREEN. Their otherworldly attributes make them perfect killing machines.

In most cases, they aren't affected or influenced by magic... But there is a select group who possess the power to do so.

They've decided to keep to themselves. Hiding away in the corner. Everyone stares and they stare back, it's rather tense but if there's one thing Franklin hates, it's violence in his house. His legendary status is respected and feared in the Western Realm. Do not fuck around, he will kill you.

The music, laughter, and intoxicating scent of food make this the one place anyone needs to be. Seated at the bar, scratching his beard is the proclaimed legend, in his favorite brown, worn leather jacket.

Jubilee's got his bottle. He makes a double and shoots it. Pours another. His words are slurred but he's still very much coherent.

"I miss her... I don't know if she misses me." He throws his hands up, "I don't know. I hope she does." He shoots another drink. "Most times, I hope she doesn't." He rubs the excess moisture from his beard. "I just don't know." He chuckles to himself since he's talking to himself.

As he pours another drink, "I don't even know if she remembers me." He shrugs it off. "Nothing I can do about it now."

He turns and looks out, observing the tavern space. As he glances around, he catches one of the Great Elves looking at him but they quickly look away. Jubilee smiles. He turns back to the bar, giving one more glance over. The elf looks away.

Jubilee stands up. He grabs his bottle and glass. He weaves around others on his way over. Turning left at the end of the bar, it's a straightaway now, he sees the table of elves, the one, in particular, is nervous now.

Jubilee comes and stands beside the table. The elves immediately quit talking, looking down on him and he doesn't care. There's a tense silence between them, until finally, "How's it going ladies and gentlemen? You got room for one more?"

They look at each other, unsure of what to make of this. Jubilee wouldn't care naturally but he's drunk so he stopped caring a while ago. He moves around the table, filling glasses with shots. "You're going to love this. It's bourbon aged with Desert Scorpions, only found in the Eastern Realm."

They turn their faces at this. One of them speaks. A Cocoa Brown skinned Male, his voice is profound. "Why would we take part in anything from those putrid creatures?"

Jubilee can't help but laugh, "I don't know- Because it tastes good." He finishes pouring. "The scorpion exoskeleton dissolves, breaking through some of the hard flavors, giving it a sweeter taste."

He pours his drink. "Let us make a toast." He looks around the group, they don't know how to react. Until the Elf who brought him over lifts her glass, she's a caramel complexion, the peridot color resonates against it... It's mesmerizing.

"I'll toast with you." Her voice is angelic. Soft. Genuine.

Jubilee's taken before the others join in. He smiles. "To peace among realms."

They shoot their drinks. Slamming the glasses down. He looks over at the female elf. "Alexis." He extends his hand. "Raz Bel Yanetil." He chuckles. "My friends just call me Raz." She shakes his hand.

"Do you mind if I?"

"You're a man, free to do whatever you please."

As he takes his seat, he can't help but look into her eyes, there's something about them. About her.

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Jubilee's still sitting with the Great Elves. They're having a wonderful time together. "Oh, man." Jubilee's trying to catch his breath, failing miserably at not laughing. He's throwing in the towel. He takes another drink.

He's wasted. His head drops to the table. The Elves are immune to the effects of alcohol as well. "I think the creature has reached his limit."

Through a slurry of other words, they make out, "Limit?" Jubilee rises from his drunken slumber. "There's no such thing." He's damn near yelling.

The elves shush him. "Sorry about that!" They shush him again, he snickers like a child. "They treat the public world like a literary temple."

"Do you mean asjc did a library?"

She's confused by everything but the library, "Isn't that what I said?"

"Nod th scary pwlace."

"The literary temple is scary?"

He shakes his head, 'yes'.

"How so?"

He looks around the table and it's all eyes on him. "Oke." He gets situated in his seat. Sitting up straight. Closing his eyes. Deep breaths.

As he opens his eyes, he's feeling much better. "All right, let me tell you..."

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There's a library secluded in the Northern Realm, just East of Godrick Square. It's called Clem & Rose. The outside is overtaken by tree roots and vines. It appears withered. There are stone steps that roots have pushed through, if you aren't watching your step, you're sure to trip and break your neck.

Inside is a literary paradise. Grand-scale sphere room with walls lined with books. There are statues placed throughout, there's art and ancient text behind glass casings. There is a Mural on the back wall, created during the Dragon Conquests. There's no other institute that houses the amount of Valon history that's stored here.

The librarian is a four-eleven, White female. She's heavyset. Her brown hair grazes her shoulders. Her lips are full. Her eyes are Brown and beautiful, just like her. She's brilliant beyond compare — User of Book Magic.

Her name is Jana.

Her magic gives her complete control over literature. The words, phrases, images, creatures, myths, legends. She can travel through books, and pull anything ever put into literature out. She can seal away anything, in any world or environment she wants. Control of the literary soul living beings possess.

Jubilee's in for a visit as he heard this is the place to come for unexpected requests. If you need or want something, you can always find it at the library. Upon entry, he notices all the bronze fixtures and design pieces. The half-moon-shaped, librarian desk is laced in bronze.

He passes several desks on his way forward. As he stands at the desk waiting, he reads a sign:

WARNING!

Noise violators will get The Silent Treatment!

*This is your only warning*

He laughs to himself as Jana comes over. Her voice is soothing. "Welcome to Clem & Rose. Is there something I can help you find today?"

He's taken back by her initially before looking around, leaning in for a whisper, "Yes- Um... I'm hoping you could help me find a familiar."

She looks around before she leans in, "Sir-"

"Alexis." He smiles.

"Alexis- Those are illegal." She whispers. "And their five hundred thousand Rolkan."

His eyes widen, "That's robbery!" His voice echoes.

Her demeanor instantly changes. Her eyes GLOW TURQUOISE.

"Keep your voice down." Her voice distorted, demon before she's back to normal.

He is taken off guard as she smiles big, "Are you still interested, Alexis?" He huffs, reaching into his pocket, and retrieves gem coins.

She's intrigued. "Wow- I haven't seen these in forever. They're quite scarce these days."

"Yes, well, not in the Government. Obnoxious bastards."

She doesn't respond to that, "If you'd follow me." With that, Jubilee follows Jana through the library.

They cut through the bookcases vertically, he observes shelves of books in passing. A quick LEFT, now heading to the back of the library.

They reach a three-option intersection. Without hesitation, they go down the RIGHT aisle. "I know it's quite a journey... It's easier to keep this as far as possible."

"I never knew this place was so big."

She laughs, "Yes, well this is only the first floor."

"And there are how many?"

"Seven."

He can only mouth holy shit.

Elsewhere in the library on the fourth floor, in the Alchemy section, under Nature, there's an academically dressed, White female. She's Twenty-Seven, a Botanist, and an at-home chef. This is Kara Delgado. She's an SSA Scientist — User of Snake Magic.

She frantically scans the titles on the spine of the books. She's unnerved. Looking around paranoid. She continues searching. Her finger touches each book, ensuring she doesn't miss one title.

Randomly, she grabs one. A thick, solid Orange book.

She FLIPS it open and begins swiping through the pages. She finds the passage. She reads the header, Elixir of— her head JERKS up, shocked by an irksome pitched voice, "Look what we have here." Looking over at a dirty Blonde, slinky White male, SSA Knight.

"You know we've been looking for you, everywhere."

A woman appears in the aisle to her left, she's form-fitting, she's got purple hair on one side, and the other is shaved low. "What you looking for, Doc?"

The book is slammed shut. "You have no idea what's happening, please. You have to let me go."

"You know we can't do that... And even if we could, why would we take the fun out of it?"

He laughs obnoxiously, "Now, why don't you and your book come with us, so we don't destroy this wonderful institution."

"I'd rather not." She clenches the book like her life depends on it. "I don't want to fight. I just need you to let me go."

The male knight runs his hand along his neck, "I don't like repeating myself, Doc. You're coming with us one way or another."

"You don't want to do this." She's pinned her back against the shelf. Looking back and forth between the two knights as they approach her. She's cornered.

The male knight unsheathes a small, broad sword, there's an Amethyst gem embedded in the hilt. It GLOWS. "Which way will you have it?"

Kara closes her eyes, "Snake Magic: Cobra's Kiss." When her eyes open, her pupils are reptile-shaped, they GLOW YELLOW.

The male knight swings his sword at her neck. It connects with a THUD. He looks over and Kara's arms have taken the form of snakes, the sword clutched in its bite. In an instant, a Purple Cobra breaks away from her, twisting around his leg, its dagger-like fangs piercing his thigh. He hollers in agony. Falling against the shelves.

The female knight wastes no time in attacking. With a bloodstone laced, brass knuckle blade, she swings at Kara repeatedly but doesn't get close. Kara parries right, barely dodging, she punches the knight's elbow to immobilize.

A forceful palm to the shoulder spins her around before Kara's arm morphs into a Purple King Cobra and sinks its fangs into her shoulder. When she slings her away, she rips off a chunk of flesh. She WAILS.

Jubilee flips through the pages of a book, trying to calm his nerves, "So-" Jana looks to him, "Yes." "Do you like uh- the library?" He clears his throat, yikes. She smiles, "I love it.." Running her fingers along a shelf, "Sooo many stories. Just trapped inside."

He nods, distracted, "Uh- Right, that makes sense. Look, I hate to ask but— what was that earlier?"

"Nothing. There's only one rule in the library-"

"Keep your voices down."

"Exactly. One simple elementary concept. Talk about something that gets my blood boiling."

The screams of the knights ERUPT in Jana's ear.

A blinding turquoise glow fills her pupils, and the shelves and library shake. She snaps her fingers and is gone in an instant. The rumbling grows moving down, heading deeper into the temple.

Kara freezes, staring at the ceiling as the rumble grows louder and gets closer until IT CUTS OUT.

Everything goes still.

The two knights cry in pain, the male has started foaming at the mouth.

A book drops to an open page onto his lap. The vessels in his eyes burst, rapidly turning bloodshot. "HEL-" He choked. As he stares at the text in the book, it GLOWS TURQUOISE before a hand erupts from the pages, grabbing and YANKING him into the book before it SLAMS SHUT.

Kara falls back in fear. The orange book pressed tightly against her chest. The rumbling travels through her book, shaking her down to the soul as it roars past her, and over to the female knight.

As her blood covers the floor, she's on her hands and knees, her eyes cut in each direction, "We're Holy Knights! Any crime committed against us is a Class 4 felony, you'll BURN!"

BOOKS EXPLODE FROM THE SHELVES! SURROUNDING HER WITH OPEN PAGES.

They circle her with increasing speed until they've created a VORTEX of spinning literature, producing enough force to lift her off her feet.

A book falls to an open page. As Jana's head slowly RISES OUT in horror fashion. Her turquoise eyes locked on the knight as she CLIMBS out of a book, contorted.

She grabs hold of the book, her fingers trickle down the page like water against her skin. It hovers in front of her as she hones in on the knight. Creasing her brow in anger. As she speaks the words, an arcane character for each letter conjures from the books, wrapping around the knight, "Book Magic: Silent Treatment."

The knight continues screaming before her lips are sewn shut.

At that moment, hands SHOOT out the books, latching onto her. They viciously rip away pieces of her soul before retreating, closing the book, and falling, all at random.

After the last piece of her soul is sealed, her body is YANKED into Jana's book that hovers in front of her. Jana stares at the page, the female knight has been bound, and crucified, along with dozens of others.

All of the books glow before they randomly SHOOT back onto shelves throughout the library.

"You were told to keep your voices down." Jana looks at Kara with glowing eyes before she extends a hand to assist her to her feet. "I'm sorry about that. Are you okay?"

She notices the SSA emblem on her shoulder, "I'm-" Jana raises her hand, "No need."

Kara looks around, "I've never seen... such unique magic." She looks at all the books. "What- What happens to them?"

As the glow in her eyes fades, "They wait to be opened." Her smile tells her everything she needs to know. Jana looks at the book she's holding.

"Be careful with that one. It carries a heavy burden." With that, Jana walks off.

Kara stares at the book. "I know."

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Jubilee's standing alone in an aisle, looking over an encyclopedia. A book beside him glows, and POPS OUT from the shelf, giving him a small scare. As the book spins open with pages facing the floor, Jana drops from within, with the same trickling effect.

"I'm sorry about that. There were unruly visitors... Are you ready?" She shoos the book and it goes to a new space at random.

"Yes ma'am."

She takes his hands into hers and closes the book with him. "Don't worry, the most it'll do is tickle." She laughs. "Wouldn't it be funny if that wasn't the case?" She's cracking up.

Her eyes glow turquoise before she coats a fear-frozen Jubilee in her mana. She continues laughing, "I was joking... Okay- A little sliver shall do."

She studies his soul for a moment. She sees words warped together, flowing chaotically through his very being, her gaze meets him before pulling at her mana, breaking off a piece.

He inquires, "What is that?"

"A piece of your soul."

"H- How?"

"How what? Do I have a piece of your soul?"

He shakes his head up and down rapidly.

"Every life has a story being written... The past, the present, the future. Your very being is a million and one words rapidly spinning and growing, just as you do."

She drops the tiny piece onto the book cover. It gives off the sound of water dripping and hitting a pool. The book glows.

It BURSTS open.

A TURQUOISE ARCANE CIRCLE appears as a whirlwind flips through the pages before STOPPING on a dime.

The circle dissolves and nothing happens.

"Now, what?" He asks growing impatient.

"Sometimes it takes them a minute."

Seconds later, a small, green, scaled leg emerges from the page. Then another before a Veiled Chameleon climbs its way out.

Jana cheers, "A veiled chameleon... An excellent companion."

"And here I was hoping for an Eagle or something."

"You'll be surprised at how versatile and reliable they are. They have an unprecedented ability to adapt."

Jubilee and the Chameleon have a staring contest, "Now, he just needs a name..." He ponders before, "Leon."

She smiles wide, "There you have it, Alexis meet your new familiar, Leon."

Jubilee can't help but look at her. Her smile. Her aura. He's taken in, captivated by her essence until she begins to blur. He feels funny, off balance, and he falls into oblivion, it's slow.

Everything goes dark.

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Jubilee once again has his head down on the table. "She'd mai perfect. Seeg again?" He laughs drunkenly to himself. The elves are getting up and leaving.

The female elf stays until they are gone, she leans in, "You got most of the story right, finally." Her eyes glow turquoise with a smile. "It was good to see you again, Alexis."

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.... To be continued

Jump straight into the next chapter:

Chapter Seven