Reborn in Shadows

Cyclop talked for hours and the rest three were quiet not being able to even stop him. He wasn't to blame after all, he didn't have a chance to meet another human for years, for tens of years. His blue hat was waving while he walked like a penguin, waddling from foot to foot.

"...and that is how I reorganised the whole library by age of the books. We're now passing through the 130 000~200 000 years old books." He was 'entertaining' the group during their long journey through the gigantic library.

"OKAY! Please! Please! Please! Just shut up!! I can't! No more!" Rafaela snapped. "You're talking for all that hundred years you were locked up in here!"

Odette gazed at her with a threatening gaze. "Rafaela! Please show some respect to him. After all, his stories are interesting." She said trying not to get on his bad side although it was a big lie.

"I'm sorry to everybody who disagrees but how the heaven can you consider a story about organising books in the library as an interesting one?!" The angel said.

Cyclop's mood quickly dropped. "S-sorry... I- I haven't realised I was talking that much..." He was mumbling when he dropped the talking grammar book.

As soon as it freed itself, it started complaining. "Finally. That guy has been pressing me so tightly that I- I can't even explain the feeling." It was talking very fast. "Next time you better let me speak or I'll tell everybody about the songs you sing when nobody's around you. Also, I agree with the angel. Better shut up."

At that, Cyclops broke. He knelt down on the ground. "Y-you... I thought you were my friend..." She mumbled as he balled up, hugged his short legs and wraped himself in his dark blue cloak. He was sobbing slightly.

Odette gazed at Rafaela, then Lancelot before finally gazing at the book. She walked over to it and stepped on it making it shut up. "Don't listen to the cursed book. You are interesting person, to me at least." She smiled reassuringly.

Lancelot took the book and stuck it in a random shelf leaving comforting the small guy to Odette and Rafaela. He was never good with stuff like that. He just sniffed a bit around, being there was a once in a lifetime experience, maybe he could use some other book of those. He looked around, luckily not getting lost in the long corridors.

The two girls were doing their best to make the small guy feel better while Lancelot was taking some random books and taking a look inside. He was particularly interested in magic books that combined magic and fencing. There wasn't much stuff about it though... or he was probably in the wrong part of library for stuff like that but nevertheless he did find something interesting.

It was a blade, purple blade that reminded of a claw with only one sharp nail. It was attached to some kind of bracelet and placed inside of a safe box. Lancelot took it out and swung few times around. "I wonder why would somebody pick this over... Like... Anything else..." He mumbled.

He didn't even notice how much time has passed since he left the group and how much further they have gotten by now. He was alone in the labyrinth of bookshelves.

***

Hylos was meanwhile trying to find the Princess. He was about to leave the castle and return to his home place but he wanted to first greet the Princess once again. Since he couldn't find her, he asked the guard leader to help him in his search. He was worried by now.

They decided to check her room although she wasn't in there usually during the day but you never know what might happen. While they're walking towards the room, they found a new doorway - opened doors leading in the library. None of them knew for it before and they were shocked now.

"Um... What is that?" Hylos asked. "I didn't know there was a place like this in this palace." He said.

Tigereal was confused too. "Me neither. But that just means there is a good chance the Princess is in there. Do you want to enter?" He asked.

He didn't have to ask twice. "Yeah... I think we should go inside." The centaur said as the two slowly made their way into the library. They were stunned by the place. How did a place like that exist inside of the castle without any of them knowing about it?

***

The reply on Lancelot's came into his head as a soft whisper: "This is the weapon of shadowssss.... It will show you the real power you have always been seeking for... Just put the bracelet on your wrist..."

"Show me the power...?" He asked in confusion.

"Magic and strength combined in one. Isn't that what you've always wanted? You could have power to rule over the world."

Lancelot felt something growing inside him. It wasn't a feeling, rather something telling him what to do. He felt like it was the only option, like if his free will was stripped away but he didn't realise it until it was too late. He put on the bracelet and attached the weapon to his hand before everything around him grew black and filled up with dark mist.

The monster was summoned... After so many years, it finally got chance to taste blood again, to get its revange on humans for imprisoning it in its own weapon, its own magical blade.

Odette then realised something. "Wait... Where is Lancelot?" She asked stopping the group. "Wasn't he with us before? She looked around hoping to see him just falling behind a little.

Rafaela and Cyclop looked at each other. "Right... I think last time I saw him was when he was taking a look in some books... Now that I think about it, last time I've seen him was back there where we put the talking grammar..." Rafaela mumbled.

Odette facepalmed. "Man... This is as if I'm babysitting a child. You know what, I'm just gonna go look for him, just to make sure he doesen't get hurt. You just get the book and meet me... if nowhere else, then at the exit, okay?" She said

The other two nodded, not really thinking there could be any danger other than loosing track of the path you're supposed to take so they let her go alone and they continued towards the book. They needed just few more minutes to reach the end of the hall and take the book from its stand.

Odette walked back until she noticed a place filled with balck mist that was spreading further and further as time passed. "Oh oh..." She mumbled. "Lancelot, what did you get yourself into...?" She mumbled before running inside the mist trying to find the knight. Let's just say she underestimated the thickness of the mist.

Lancelot was also caught in the mist but he had one more problem. The claw he had before has disappeared from his wrist and he could hear laughing around. It was odd... and scary.

"Night has fallen, let the killing begin." The voice said before laughing some more. Lancelot could then see two eyes glowing in the darkness. Soon, a creature appeared from the darkness. It had the blade Lancelot took out of the case and was covered in long cloak. It wasn't a human, it was walking on all four legs and had a long tail.

"Now... I'll be the last thing you'll ever see." The creature smirked as it jumped on Lancelot. It cursed him with a spell of silence making him unable to move or talk. He was an easy target but just at that moment, Odette got close enough to see the scene and  she had a second to react. She used a spell and prevented the monster from moving just a moment before it had a chance to stab the knight.

He remained of the floor while the monster gazed at Odette. "Your death doesn't concern me human. Don't try fighting me." He aluhed before running towards her and shooting few poisonous darts.

She blocked two of them and tried dodging the third one but it just scratched her making a little cut... but that is enough for poison to start working, still, she wouldn't give up on the knight. She just felt something telling her to protect him not matter what, she didn't know why but she felt something towads him. She felt the only spell that could make somebody go against all odds - love.

The girl then walked closer making a swan out of energy and sending it towads the monster. It slid under it and came towards her but she just rose her staff and  created an area of powerful magic flow that was weakening the creature. It was constantly taking damage but it didn't want to die. Odette was, in other hand, feeling weaker and weaker as the poison was starting to work.

Suddenly, somebody joined the fight. Hylos was standing inbetween Odette and the monster as he sent a wave of strong wind that blew the mosnter away. He then turned to the princess. "Odette! Are you okay?!" He asked as he picked her up. "She needs help!" He said while Tigereal was standing aside, with his sword drawn.

"I'll keep this thing, you get the princess to safety." The guard said blocking the following attack with his big shield and then slamming the creature with the same weapon, before using his sword to attack. The problem was that it all didn't stop the monster at all. It just kept going as if none of phisical attacks really hurt him.

Then again, two more people joined the fight. The situation was pretty messy. Rafaela quickly got to Odette and used a quick healing spell on her while Cyclop demonstrated a side nobody else would expect from him. He summoned several shiny balls of cosmic power and shot them at the monster. They were of more use than sword. The creature fell on the ground and then Cyclop knelt down and said: "Quickly! Somebody give me a knife oe something sharp!" He demanded.

Tigereal tossed him his blade along with a question. "What the heck is that thing?!" He asked.

Cyclops used the sword to separate the magical claw from the monster's hand and put it back in the case. "This is Helcurt. It is a monster from realm of shadows that was banished from our world in physical form and the only connection to this world is his blade. That is why it has to be kept in here. Whose genious idea was to put this thing on their hand?!" He said angrily.

The rest of people just stared at each other. "Nobody admitts... of course..." Cyclop continued. "Anyways, you'd better get the princess to safety... She was poisoned with a toxin that could be deadly if it isn't treated right."

Rafaela said: "But you know how to cure it, right? You're gonna help me save her?" She was worried about her mistress.

Cyclops nodded. "You, centaur, take her to her room and wash her wound. You, big guy, come with me. I'll need some help with the medicine!" He said, not panicking at all. He was probably the only one calm person in the whole group.

"By the way, Rafela, where is the Codex of Apocalypse? It is with you, right...?" He asked.

Rafela looked at him shocked. "Wait... Wasn't it with you...? I-I placed it aside while we were fighting, I thought y-you were the one who took it..."

They just stared at each other for several moments before Tigereal pulled Cyclop with him. "Focus on cure! You'll think about books later you bookworms!"

The interesting fact was that in whole that mess and worries about princess's health, nobody noticed there was somebody missing...

***

By this time, Lancelot was already out of the castle holding the Codex in hands. He felt guilty for leaving Odette, who somehow grew pretty dear to him, alone in danger of dying but this was his primary task ever since he got in the castle. After all, Argus promised him rich prize and huge power if he brings him the book and the knight would do anything to achieve his goal.