Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Treasure Room

The Hero Became a Mousegirl
Chapter 2: The Treasure Room

 

Standing atop the landing overseeing the great hall, I gazed in bewilderment. It too had been stripped of the decorations and banners I remembered it once contained, yet even the stone here had begun to crumble.

Large slabs of the ceiling and walls coated the floor and stairwells. The marble railing which once stretched along the second floor now pebbles and dust. One of the two sets of stairs was so covered in debris I’d have to climb up before I could go down.

The second stairwell was only barely traversable, its hazards made all the more perilous thanks to my lack of shoes to protect my feet. Carefully I inched my way down, remaining vigilant for jagged rocks which threatened to cause me injury.

A sigh of relief escaped my throat once I made it to the base of the stairs. I felt lucky. My new agility stat had allowed my dexterous descent. Coaxing a nimbleness from my limbs I would’ve believed impossible in my former form.

I smiled triumphantly, slapping at the sides of my face to wash my smile away once I realized what I was doing. I absolutely am not happy about this, I chanted in my heart.

The hidden treasure room which Eynhilda spoke of was located behind a marble bookcase in the library. I’d been taken there once by Teodora, the emperor’s daughter. During the days before she’d confessed her love for me. Before my rejection of her advances made things too awkward for her to continue spending time in my company.

A rueful smile crested my lips as I imagined how she’d react to the new me. I was at least sixty centimeters shorter and far more dainty. As I thought about it I seemed to remember Teodora having stuffed toys which would rival my current form in size.

My mind played out an insanely embarrassing scene of being picked up and placed with the rest of Teodora’s collection, despite my conscious objections to such delusions. Only arriving before the library’s door chased them away.

The wooden door guarding the library was so splintered and rotted that it took little more than a push for me to open it. A welcome change from the nearly unmovable ones still guarding the audience room.

I’d expected the books, scrolls, and miscellaneous papers within the library to be little more than kindling. Still, the sight of it all took my breath away. Countless centuries of collected knowledge, handwritten journals, the notes of famous explorers and past emperors. All gone.

Even the grand piano which sat in the center of the room had been left behind to decay. It reinforced the budding belief in my heart that the imperial family had not simply abandoned this place. Which made me fear that the Empire within my memories had fallen long ago.

Locating the marble bookshelf hidden under the crumbling remains of a spiral staircase, I reached for the third shelf. I knew that hidden there was a mechanism which I needed to press. Only I was now far too short to reach it.

Groaning in frustration I hopped several times to try and slap the mechanism, before finally giving up and deciding to climb the shelves. I didn’t trust the old stone to hold me, but I didn’t really have a second option.

Pulling myself onto the proper shelf I finally laid eyes on the lever mechanism. Placing both my hands upon it I pushed down as hard as my paltry strength allowed. The lever refusing to budge even by a tiny amount.

“Seriously? Move you stupid thing!” I growled in frustration slamming the heel of my palm onto the lever until my hand throbbed in pain.

Tears welled in my eyes as I clutched my hand against my chest. In the past all it took was sliding a particularly heavy book over the mechanism to activate it. Now even with all my strength, it was immovable.

Unwilling to surrender so easily I readjusted myself so that my feet were facing the lever. Then with all the power my tiny shoestring legs could muster I drilled my heel into it.

A pained squeak escaped me as the nerves from my foot all the way up to the tips of my fingers lit up. Curling up into a ball atop the bookshelf I cursed the stupid mechanism. Right as the shelf swung inwards with enough speed to send me tumbling from my perch.

Striking the floor shoulder-first drew a pained gasp from my throat. For a moment, I laid there. My hand hurt, my foot throbbed, my shoulder ached. Never before had such simple actions been so effective in causing me discomfort.

In my previous life, I’d once taken a demon’s warhammer to the shoulder with enough force my pauldron became inverted. At the time I’d simply ground my teeth and continued to fight. Now falling from a bookshelf was enough to blur my vision with tears.

“Come on Caelan,” I groaned, forcing myself to my feet. Part of me wanted to chastise myself for my newfound weakness. But I shook myself free of the thought. Wallowing in frustrations now wouldn’t help me. Besides, it wasn’t as if I’d been incapable of tears in my past, it was simply improper for a hero to show such things.

If the hero cried, the troops would be demoralized. I could remember my adoptive father telling me such things as he struck me again and again. Beating me until I learned to hide the pain I felt. Until I could glare back defiantly no matter what became of me.

I’d hated my father for how he treated me. Resented him throughout my life. Even now thinking of him caused a dark flame in my heart to flare. To that end, being capable of tears was something of a victory.

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Crying was like telling my father he could take all of his training and go fuck himself. So I would not chastise myself for it. Not that I was going to go out of my way to do it more than what came naturally. It was still a bit humiliating as the hero to allow myself to exhibit such weakness.

Wiping my eyes I turned my attention to the hallway before me. It was crucial to my ability to make it inside the treasure room. Along the path were several slightly raised stones. I needed to make sure I stepped on each of them.

The door would only open if all the stones had been pressed. Which would be hard to do since I was without a torch or lantern, and no natural light filled the hall.

Carefully I stepped forward. Sweeping my feet back and forth. Straining my eyes for any outline in the darkness ahead. There was no limit to the amount of time I could take, and I was willing to take as long as I needed.

Reaching the end of the passage the darkness around me had grown so heavy it was as if my vision had been stolen. I could see nothing, not even my own hand held a centimeter before my eyes.

Gripping the door’s massive handle, its shape akin to a ship’s wheel. I put all my strength into my arms and pushed until I felt it move. thrusting my shoulder into the door to force it open. Slipping into the hidden room beyond.

The treasury was massive. Stretching so far and filled with so many things, seeing from one end to the other was impossible. Thankfully glass lanterns filled with glowing stones were hung along the ceiling allowing me to visually inspect the treasures within.

Luckily for me, I did not have to go far before stumbling upon a massive cache of clothing. Most of it far too large to fit my new frame. There were several dresses which may have once belonged to the Imperial family’s young daughters. All of which I felt would fit perfectly.

I stood and gazed at them, imagining what I might look like wearing them. A difficult feat seeing how I’d not yet seen my new self in a mirror. But I could imagine it loosely. I knew the tone of my skin, unchanged from my human self, was a cherry-tinted brown. And thanks to the length of my new hair, I could easily see that I was now sporting bright blond locks.

After a bit of daydreaming, I finally realized what I was doing and shook myself free of the thoughts. “Seriously Caelan!” I grumbled. “Don’t start… thinking like that.”

Sighing I dug through the clothing on offer until I finally found a pair of trousers and a loose shirt I could wear. Both were too large for me, but not so large that they’d simply fall off as I walked. Then I snatched up some underclothes which would fit my new form properly. Carefully oblivious to the fact that they were a very bright shade of pink, and dressed myself.

Now that I was properly clothed, I gazed about the room, searching for a weapon. As impractical as it was with my new form I reached for a greatsword displayed on hooks above one of the walls.

Holding both hands high above my head I could barely graze the weapon with my fingers. Let alone remove it from its mount. Grumbling about my new stature I turned to gaze about the room for something to use as a stool. Coming face to face with a massive statue of a knight nearly twice my height.

“Kaphis,” I breathed my eyed going wide as I looked upon my former companion. The massive golem pointing a club as large as I was at my head.

“Return what you’ve stolen and leave,” Kaphis commanded. Though their face was unable to show emotion I could hear the scowl in their tone. It sent icy chills down my back.

“Kaphis, it’s me Caelan. I’m… how long have you been here? The castle’s been abandoned.”

“The only Caelan I’ve ever known died 1,327 years ago,” Kaphis declared. Their voice tinted with a murderous inflection. “You cannot be him.”

“Okay, I know I don’t look the same,” I replied backing away till I felt myself pressed up against the wall. “But you have to trust me. I am Caelan, and I can prove it.”

“How can you prove to be someone you obviously are not?”

I was asking myself the same question. I gazed down at my left wrist hoping to see the symbol of Eynhilda there. Yet only clear unmarked skin greeted my sight. “I-I have Caelan’s memories. All of them. Ask me a question Kaphis, something you believe only I would know. Please I know I can prove I’m who I say I am.”

Kaphis pressed the tip of their club into the wall directly above my left shoulder. “Tell me everything that happened the night we camped just outside of Stelryus’s lair. There were only five of us at the time. If you can recall what happened then, I’ll believe you.”

“Alright,” I nodded. “Just umm… give me a second. You’re very intimidating from this angle my friend.”