Willaby Beuford McWellan the 23rd's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Willaby stood in the center of his disguised shed and looked around. The walls were bare. The floor held only his footprints in the dust. He had built the sanctuary, but it was empty. No forbidden texts lined the shelves. No dangerous spells waited in locked cases. He needed to start gathering the knowledge he came to protect. His clawed hand touched the Dutchman's Decanter at his belt. First, he would need to travel. He would need to find the books and artifacts that threatened the world. Then he could bring them back here, one by one, until his collection was complete. But he didn't know how ancient wizards organized their dangerous texts. He didn't know what methods they used to lock them away. Before he could build a proper collection, he needed to learn from those who came before him. The Academy of Mana and Alchemy appeared three days later through the morning fog. Willaby approached the gates and stared up at the walls. The architecture shifted as he watched. Towers grew taller, then shorter. Doors moved from one floor to another. The entire structure seemed alive with enchantments. He entered through the main hall and followed the signs to the restricted archives. A guard stopped him at the entrance, but Willaby showed his researcher credentials. Inside, he found rows of locked cases and warded shelves. Each dangerous spell book sat behind glass etched with protective symbols. He pulled out his notebook and began sketching the lock designs. He studied the placement of the cases and the spacing between shelves. By evening, he had filled twenty pages with diagrams and notes. Now he knew how to protect what he would collect. Now he could begin his real work. Back at the shed two weeks later, Willaby unpacked his first dangerous acquisition. The book felt hot in his hands, and dark smoke leaked from its pages. He needed to dispose of the residual magic before storing it safely. Outside, he uncrated the Hungryman Stove he had purchased on his journey home. The wood stove had a carved face on its front, with a wide mouth and hungry eyes. He lit a fire inside and fed it scraps of magical residue. The stove's face seemed to grin as it consumed the dark energy. Warmth spread through the clearing, clean and bright. Willaby carried the now-safe book inside and placed it in his first locked case. One text secured. Thousands more to find. His life's work had finally begun. Winter arrived early in the wasteland. Willaby stood outside the shed and examined his second acquisition. The artifact pulsed with cold blue light and frost spread across his gloves. He couldn't store it warm or the magic would activate and spread. He opened the door to The Icebox and cold air rushed out. The steampunk device hummed softly, its dwarven symbols glowing along the metal frame. He placed the artifact inside on the middle shelf and peered through the small window. The blue light dimmed immediately. The frost stopped spreading. The refrigeration held the magic dormant and safe. Willaby closed the door and locked it. Two dangerous items secured. His sanctuary was starting to fill. Each piece brought him closer to protecting the world from itself.