Flickering Candles

Sneaking into the forbidden section of the library was a coming-of-age ritual for the dark art - and a few curious light art - students at the College of Elements. Very few - perhaps one student a year - could pass through the enchantments that had begun to grow over that part of the library as the centuries passed.

Sniptide - a skilled stoat thief - motioned to her vulpine companion to follow through the hidden bookcase opening after she had checked it for traps. 

Her vulpine companion had a reticent personality and jet black fur accompanied by glowing violet eyes. He turned and closed the bookcase behind him which clicked and sealed with magical red light - similar to strands of twine - around the edges of the door.

“Hope we can get outta here,” Sniptide muttered as the vulpine turned back to her and silently motioned for her to walk ahead.

The deeper, forbidden part of the library was similar to the well-lit part in architectural style - lots of columns and paintings of old masters - but with a layer of mystery over everything.

“Creepy,” Sniptide said, ever on the lookout for traps...

...or anything of value at all.

Definitely one of the stranger dark mage students at the college.

“So you don’t study how to throw fireballs, eh?” Sniptide whispered. “How d’you... win any duels?”

He looked at her with bored, purple eyes. “There are other ways of winning duels, Snip.”

Sniptide glanced around. She was being paid fairly well to accompany the fox on his little quest - paid as well as a college student could afford.

“You’re one of my weirder clients, that’s for sure.”

The fox merely rolled his eyes.

Sniptide went back to studying the bricks of the path they were walking down. The bookcases seemed to be getting closer and closer together as the flame of the fox’s candle seemed to waver at times.

“Forbidden section, eh? Some pricy books in here I bet,” the stoat thief said, already counting gold earned by fenced items in her head.

“This is not the true forbidden section,” the fox responded, brushing dust off the spine of one of the books. “Technically these are the ‘Stacks.’ These are indexes for the main library, relics of old magic, and codexes which house the location of the true forbidden section.”

“You wizards think you’re so smart,” Sniptide said. “When I graduate from ‘ere I’m gonna be an expert in robbin’ your kind.”

The fox was still busy studying the book he had picked out and either was ignoring her or didn’t hear her. After a few moments he put it back and extracted another volume from a lower rack and opened it with a careful eye.

That’s when Sniptide’s ear started to flutter.

“Someone’s comin’,” the stoat whispered to her odd companion. 

He blew out the candle, leaving them in darkness. Sniptide was astonished at how dark everything became: even with her keen stoat eyes, it was an enveloping darkness.

Just around the corner shone a light and hushed giggles. Sniptide instinctively put her hand to the side, expecting wizard robes, but the fox had vanished.

“So this is the forbidden section, huh?” A voice whispered as it approached.

The vulpine's absence left Sniptide alone in the shadowy darkness, her stoat senses heightened. The approaching figures cast long shadows from a candle as they conversed in low tones.

"Yes, Cassius, this is where the real knowledge is hidden. Secrets beyond what they teach us in classes," another voice responded.

Sniptide crouched silently, her furry form blending with the dim surroundings as she listened intently. The two figures rounded the corner, their hushed voices growing clearer.

Sniptide recognized the badger named Cassius that led the way. Cassius was in his full armor, sword by his side. Beside him was a petite, wide-eyed rabbit that the stoat also recognized named Lambchant. Sniptide recognized them from the Paladin side of the school: she had stolen from them before. Cassius held a flickering candle, casting sporadic shadows across the ancient tomes lining the shelves.

Lambchant, in her cleric robes, was practically bouncing with excitement. "I can't believe we're really here! Imagine what kind of spells and artifacts are hidden away."

“Lamb, we’re not here to look at these stupid books, we’re here to catch criminals. Your father opened up this path for us: said we could kill dark art folks here without retribution.”

Sniptide, concealed in the darkness, smirked at their naivety and wrote down the juicy gossip for future blackmail. 

Lamb’s father - dean of clerical studies - let in his daughter to kill people in the library.

But her amusement turned to confusion when the black-furred vulpine reappeared beside her.

"How did you—?" she began, but he hushed her with a finger to his lips as the two passed by the row.

"Silence," he whispered. "Listen."

Lambchant’s voice carried on. "Cassius, have you heard the rumors about a forbidden section within the forbidden section?"

Cassius chuckled, casting an uneasy glance around. "Yes, Lamby, but it's all... rumors. No one truly knows what lies within. Even getting to this part of the library is a feat."

“No no, Cassius: I heard about a key to a deeper section.”

“Who have you been talking to?” Cassius asked as they wandered past stacks of old codexes.

Sniptide strained her ears to catch every word, her curiosity piqued by the mention of a key to a deeper and more concealed section within the forbidden part of the library. The vulpine beside her remained a silent shadow, his eyes focused on the Paladin duo.

Lambchant's eyes widened with enthusiasm. "It's true! I heard it from Brother Cedric before he...” She stopped herself on that particular line of thought and continued her original one. “He said the key is hidden somewhere within this ‘false forbidden section’ and that it leads to the heart of forbidden knowledge."

“Brother Cedric?” The badger asked.

“Y-yes, Cassius.”

“When... when did you speak to him?” The two stopped. “Lamb, I love you. Please tell me when you spoke to him.”

“Who cares, Cassius?” The rabbit hissed.

Sniptide - hidden between books in a faraway row - felt a tap on her shoulder and was met with the vulpine smile of her companion who merely pointed back at them. The good creatures’ conversation continued.

“I... I talked to him the day he disappeared.”

Cassius’s mouth went agape. “D-did you tell your father? Why didn’t you say anything during the investigation?”

“He made me promise not to tell anyone. He was meeting to duel someone from the dark arts college - he said there was a secret within the forbidden section that he was going to learn. I-I’m sorry!”

Snip turned around and found herself alone - and lost - as the two creatures ahead of her began to find both their candles flickering.