"Go step in, dog poop, Theo!" A boy with dirty blond hair yells from the top of a large stone staircase leading into the university's library. His hideous laughter follows soon after.
Theo tries to ignore the taunt. For better or for worse, he had become accustomed to the daily teasing from his older classmates. Not that it doesn't bother him. It definitely does, but he has learned how to control himself. Except he has had a very bad day, and can't put up with any more.
He stops in his tracks, his scarlet hair hanging over his eyes, and smirks before replying, "Why are you doing your business outside?" He then takes off running, fearing for his life and knowing he shouldn't have said anything.
Immediately, the other boy screeches in outrage. "THEO! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! IMMA BEAT YOUR ASS!"
Theo reaches his car, hearing the other boy charging toward him, shoving anything and anyone in his way. Theo fumbles with the car keys as he hurries to unlock his car. He dives into the seat, yanking the door shut with a loud thud.
Just as the other boy reaches the rear of the car, Theo has locked the doors.
The car roars to life as Theo braces for the inevitable hits to his car. A solid crunch reverberates through the car, and Theo doesn't take the time to see what it is, immediately reversing and speeding out of the parking spot.
He is dimly aware of an agonized scream as he races away. Theo briefly looks in the rearview mirror and sees the bully rolling around on the ground, clutching his foot in agony. A satisfied smirk crosses Thoe's face. "Serves him right." He fantasizes about getting even with his other bullies for a moment.
His phone suddenly rings, snapping him back to reality just in time to avoid an oncoming truck driving in the wrong lane. Theo leans his entire wait on the horn, heart pounding out of his chest, as the truck speeds past where Theo swerved his car to avoid the collision.
After a moment, he slowly calms down and reaches for his phone to check who called. When he sees that it is his mom, he sighs and puts his phone back down. He will call her back once he is safe in his own apartment.
About fifteen minutes later, he pulls up in front of a minor, run-down apartment complex. He grabs the stack of books and keys and clambers out of his car. As he goes up the rickety staircase, he keeps his gaze on his feet, concerned that his foot might go through the rotting wood.
When he reaches the top floor, he walks three doors down and leans the books against the door to free one of his hands to unlock his apartment. As the door slowly swings open, Theo quickly secures the books in his arms, afraid of dropping them. He had to get special permission from the library staff to borrow these books, as several were printed before the war broke out.
Theo sighs as he thinks about the war. Now, it is common for people to talk about creatures like fairies, cyclops, and dragons wiping out groups of soldiers. But a few centuries ago, it would have been unthinkable.
He walks over to the desk he had cleaned off earlier in preparation for the old books. He sets them down and plops down into the swivel chair. He sighs before picking up the book at the top of the stack. "Everin Topill: A Biography of the First Mayor of Undercity."
This book was written at the end of Mayor Tophill's life and is almost 300 years old. He handles it with care as he opens it to the first page. He is hoping he will find information on the scholars who managed to somehow defeat a dragon through their research. Information from these scholars is challenging to find, as most people view their work as a failure since it could not be implemented on a wide scale due to how difficult it was to use. Mayor Tophill was rumored to be acquainted with the scholars, so Theo is positive that there must be at least a mention of their names in this biography.
As he flips through the pages, his eye deftly moving over them, he suddenly feels something fall in his lap. He stares at the book in shock, dumbfounded that someone would damage such a precious book. There is a carved-out rectangle in the pages, creating a container out of the book.
Theo glances down at his lap, where a rusty dagger rests. He carefully puts the book down before lifting the dagger to study closer.
He's not sure, but he thinks he can make out a few runes on the blade through the rust. However, they mean nothing to him since it is obvious that most of the word is obscured by the age of the weapon.
He carefully turns it over and spots an ornate emerald resting on the hilt. His eyes widened as he had never seen a gem before. His finger traces the stone and finds a sharp splinter on the hilt.
Theo yelps as he retracts his finger, sucking on the cut he just got. As he does so, the blood on the dagger drips onto the emerald, and it starts to glow with a sinister light.
Theo tosses the dagger across the apartment, suddenly frightened. The lessons from elementary school flood through his head, warning of artifacts left behind by mythical creatures in an attempt to weaken humanity's resistance through surprise attacks. He stands up, only to discover that he is extremely light-headed. As his knees buckle and he begins to fall over, he faintly hears a voice speaking.
{Congratulations: You have been gifted the Dullahan System. Be careful not to...}
Theo hits the floor in a heap, his head thumping loudly against the floor, knocking him out.