Vainglory 2: A LitRPG Adventure by Plum Parrot

Author:Plum Parrot [Parrot, Plum]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2025-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

24

A WALK IN THE DARK

Haley let the chest’s lid flop back as she peered inside. She caught her breath, which gave Ward some hope, and when she looked over her shoulder with a crooked smile, he knew something good must be within. “I think we’ll need my dice again!”

“Let us see! Come on, Ward, look inside!” Grace stood behind the chest, peering in, but Ward knew she couldn’t see anything until he did likewise. He grinned, enjoying the game almost as much as he wanted to know what was in there.

He rested a hand on Lisa’s shoulder, catching her eye to indicate he wanted her to stay back with him. “No, no. This one’s Haley’s to manage. Why don’t you take each item out? We can look at them one by one.”

“Really?” Haley grinned, then turned to do so while Grace glared daggers at Ward.

“I know what you’re doing,” she seethed.

“Oh, come on; I’m just having a little fun. Don’t these chests remind you guys of birthday presents, or maybe more like Christmas? It’s fun to drag it out a little, don’t you think?”

Lisa nodded. “I’m reminded of Midsummer when we exchange gifts at the weirding tree.”

Before Ward could ask what a “weirding tree” was, Haley turned, holding a small ivory box inlaid with three clear crystals. “What does this remind you of?”

Ward sucked a breath through his teeth, shaking his head. “The box this tongue came in.”

Haley grinned and nodded, setting the box in front of the chest. Then she reached in and lifted out a gleaming sheet of paper-thin silver. It was exactly the same size as the copper one Ward had gotten in the catacombs. “It has words on it, but they hurt my eyes, so I’m guessing it’s a spell.” Lisa inhaled and leaned forward but didn’t pull against Ward’s gentle grip on her shoulder.

Haley set the silvery sheet beside the ivory box and reached into the chest again. This time, she lifted out a small black silk pouch that clinked softly as she rattled it. “Something sort of heavy, but not metal. I think the objects inside might be gems or maybe made of glass.” She looked into the chest once more, then shrugged. “That’s it.”

Ward sat down, cross-legged, and nodded. “Let’s have a closer look.” Grace walked off, poking around the room as though she might find another chest or something. Ward wasn’t too surprised that Lisa stepped to Haley’s side and peered into the chest. He’d had the impulse to double-check her to be sure she didn’t miss something, so he couldn’t really blame Lisa. After she sniffed and nodded, Lisa sat down to Ward’s left, and Haley closed the chest and sat atop it. She picked up the ivory box and turned it, pausing to squint at the bottom.

“There are some words here: ‘Thurven’s Lucky Key.’ I can’t find a latch to open the box, so I think you must do what you did before—put mana into it.” She set it down, picked up the silvery sheet, and held it out to Ward.

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