I’m not going to hurt anyone to get this done, I sent to the System as I closed the door to Rieka’s rooms. And I’m not going to lie to them if they ask me directly what is going on.

  System understands Traveler’s limitations.

  My girls had been surprised at first when I asked to step out for a moment. Thankfully, they hadn’t pressed and just insisted I share kisses around and hurry back.

  I’d initially thought about fibbing and saying that I needed to go check in with Gemma about something, but realized immediately that was a mistake. And not just because it was the kind of lie that I could easily get caught in.

  No, it was purely because I didn’t like the idea of lying to any of them. The thought of telling a lie to the girls, even a small one, made my guts twist inside me.

  So instead, I’d just made an excuse of wanting to go for a walk to stretch out some kinks. I’d had to specify a moment afterward that the kinks were in my legs because Kassandra got that familiar mischievous twinkle in her eye.

  Not worried about anyone stopping me for the most part, I thought as I turned away from the door to Rieka’s rooms and studied the hallway for a long moment. Been around long enough and often enough that the guards know me. That’s a double-edged sword, though. They’ll definitely point it out if I go somewhere I’m not supposed to. No way am I going to hurt innocent folks, either. So I guess this isn’t one of the ‘stealth optional’ missions.

  Normally, that sort of thought would have brought a smile to my lips. But I was currently wrestling with a bucketful of resentment toward the System for asking me to do this.

  I knew, intellectually, that this was the right call. My girls were beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and dangerous. I also put good odds that they would have understood the necessity of this, though I knew it would have broken Jane’s little heart to have to destroy the information. But subtle was not one of their many traits, and this needed to be subtle. While I knew and trusted Gemma, the System had made good points about potential dishonesty and not just from the queen herself.

  So I focused carefully as I walked. My ears shifted and extended, hearing amplifying to track other sounds near me as I took from the sonar of bats. My eyes enlarged and shifted further apart on my head, vision sharpening. My bare feet softened and sprouted thick pads to muffle my steps while my joints became springier.

  At this point, I wasn’t even thinking too much about the specific animal that I wanted to tap into. Instead, I just let the power from Shape-Shifting flow through me while opening my memories of different animals and abilities for the power to parse through.

  I’d toyed with the idea of impersonating one of the guards or a maid as I walked to the end of the corridor, but disregarded it immediately. While I could easily shift my body and take on a different appearance to look like staff, I didn’t have the requisite uniform handy.

  Not quite at the level of that blue mutant lady from the movies, I thought with a grim smirk, stepping aside to pause in a doorway as an unfamiliar maid bustled past with a stack of bedding blocking most of her vision. And the only way I’d get a uniform would be to accost someone. Sure, I could knock someone out and take their clothes, but that wouldn’t be right or fair to them.

  The thought had only occurred to me a few days ago when sparring with Valda, and I’d toyed with the idea of pretending to be other people off and on. As long as they were within a certain size category of me, it was doable. Kassandra was on the outer edge of what was possible from a mass perspective, mostly just because of how much weight the little woman carried in her serpentine tail.

  So instead, I tapped into a different portion of reality and shifted my skin to that of an octopus.

  Colors flowed and shifted over my skin until it settled into a shade to the wood and stone of the walls as I crept along silently. It wasn’t perfect, and nowhere near as good as the cartoons of chameleons I’d seen as a kid, but it helped a lot to keep me out of sight, especially when I remembered to just ditch my clothes and use Shape-Shifting to hide any important bits.

  Whenever a servant or guard would pass by, I would tuck myself into a shadowed nook and hold perfectly still while listening carefully.

  The servants missed me entirely, easily bustling past without a care in the world as they went about their tasks for the morning. I even spotted Gemma’s butler slipping by with a wine decanter on a platter. The guards were far more vigilant, with eyes always scanning as they marched by on their patrols or stood guard at crossroads. Thankfully, one of the old maxims from stealth games and horror movies remained the same here: no one ever looks up.

  While I had poached an octopus’ ability to blend in with its surroundings, I tapped on a gecko’s ability to cling to surfaces to climb walls and cross out of line of sight of the stationed guards. It was a whole new exercise and I knew that my body was going to ache in new and interesting ways when I was done, but actually doing it was such a thrill that I didn’t hesitate.

  And maybe just a bit because it felt like I was a xenomorph when I clung to a wall and crawled past a guard.

  Just a bit.

  Initially, I’d been concerned that the nature of the kin species might give me away by smell. But as I worked my way through familiar halls, I realized that the animal-features of the kin did not extend to the point that the wolfish features of these people granted them supernatural senses of smell like their four-legged brethren.

  What was harder than actually sneaking past many of the guards was fielding the running commentary from my girls while I moved. The Contact Contracted Companion power always got a strong workout when I was away from my girls for an extended period of time, but today it was doing crazy work.

  Kassandra pestered me with jokes and teasing questions about whether or not I was chasing Lorelai, since the cute maid was totally my type. My consistent refusal was never enough to satisfy my troublemaking lover, but I knew that Kassandra teased as easily as she breathed, so didn’t take it seriously.

  Jane and Shayla sent me affectionate messages intermixed with questions about going to Earth. Neither pushed about it, but they had apparently gotten the whole story from Kassandra and were plotting how they would make the most of their own trips when they did get to come by.

  Valda checked in with me twice, once to let me know that the girls were heading to the bathing room to wash up as a group, and then again asking if she shouldn’t have done that. I sent her thanks for letting me know what was going on and for looking after them for me while I was away, since I knew I could trust her. Surprisingly, she replied with a stuttering reassurance that she just wanted to make sure I wasn’t taken by surprise if I returned while they were gone.

  Rieka sent me the fewest messages, most of them just affectionate reminders of how much she enjoyed herself last night. She did slip in a serious reminder that if any of her sisters harassed me while I was out on my walk, I should let her know so she could deal with it.

  The fierce tone of Rieka’s mental sending made me smile. While she might be the fourth-oldest of her family, my princess was definitely not a wilting flower that would let her family walk all over her.

  I’d been to the Royal Library a few times already, usually escorting Jane when my scholar wanted to do some research but needed a backrest or someone able to reach high shelves easily. So getting there wasn’t too difficult. More challenging was finding my way there without leaving a trail.

  Really showing my increasing mental scores, or at least I’d like to believe that, I thought with a small smile while shimmying along a ledge while the wind tugged at my hair.

  I’d ducked out an open window on the third floor and was creeping along the outside of the castle toward a balcony that opened into the library. While the door to the balcony would most likely be locked from the inside, I was confident that I could jimmy the door open. At the very least I’d be able to see into the library through the glass windows to make sure no one would catch me inside.

  I just need to avoid over-thinking things too much, I reminded myself. Sure, you could probably have pretended to go and get a book for Jane, but that would also mean folk would remember I’d been there. With my kind of luck, they’ll notice there are documents missing.

  I’d stumbled on the idea while hanging diagonally above one of the guards about five minutes earlier, but put it aside. This was also really good practice for the future if I ever needed to infiltrate somewhere without being caught.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  The only issue is that I don’t know wards well enough that I would realize if I’ve tripped them, I thought grimly while creeping along the wall. Just have to keep an eye out for them and hope that these are ‘common’ enough spaces that they haven’t bothered to ward them.

  I pointedly tried not to think about the simple wards Kassandra always set up to defend our camp while we were out in the woods. Wards that would send massive electric shocks into anyone crossing them that didn’t belong, or sounding loud alarms.

  Dropping down onto the balcony, I paused for several breaths to wait and see if anything happened. But thankfully, nothing did.

  Slipping over to the door that led out onto the balcony, I peeked through the window and studied the interior, still maintaining my skin-camouflage that let me blend in with the wall and the ivy growing nearby.

  Here I crouch on a balcony, naked to the world, and I don’t feel a bit self conscious about it… I thought as the breeze raced over my bare back. If it wasn’t for the fact that sprouting additional arms or shifting my body to various monstrous forms didn’t trigger dysmorphia, I’d be worried that there was something wrong with me for being okay with this.

  It honestly didn’t bother me much. At this point, I wore clothes more out of habit and to keep certain members of my group’s hands off my junk when I wasn’t paying attention, rather than any need to honestly cover myself.

  It makes more sense why that one mutant gal never wore clothes in the movies or books, I thought.

  After studying the interior of the library for two full minutes, I decided that it should be safe to sneak in.

  Sidling over to the door, I was all set to start slipping an octopus-like tentacle under to twist the lock when I decided to jiggle the handle just to be safe. Which was good, because someone had left the door unlocked, and I’d have felt really stupid if I’d just locked it on myself instead.

  Slipping inside, I scanned the area once more from a shadowed nook between two bookcases before sneaking deeper.

  The Royal Library reminded me a lot of somewhere that a certain Disney princess with a penchant for talking to the flatware would love. Two stories, with rolling ladders and massive chandeliers set with glowing crystalline lamps. Large tables sat out with even more lamps and stacks of paper and writing implements for research. Maps covered one wall that described the entire countryside of the nation as well as rough drawings of neighboring nations and a larger map that encompassed the majority of the rest of the continent.

  Everything was done up in a familiar level of wealth that, thankfully, did not forsake function for form. Yeah, there was a lot of polished hardwood and rich rugs around, but the fixtures were just polished brass rather than pointlessly decorating with gold or silver. The true wealth sat on the shelves all around us.

  Books, everything from small, pocket-sized notebooks to massive tomes as big as my torso. The thick smell of paper and leather underlaid with a faint hint of floral perfume hung in the air. I recognized the perfume scent as that of the old matron who oversaw the library, which told me she had stepped out for the moment. A quick shift of my nose and sinuses let me scent the air and confirm that no one else had come into the room for the better part of a day.

  Perfect, I thought and started checking the shelves quickly.

  I’d been through the library a fair bit with Jane, often enough that I knew how the old caretaker organized the books and where my targets might be. I figured that the System would let me know when I located all of the documents, but there was a part of me that wished it could highlight the shelf even where the documents were hiding.

  My earlier concerns with wards were moot here. I’d asked Jane about it the first time I’d visited, asking if there were any things on the shelves that I needed to keep an eye out for so I wouldn’t shock myself or get in trouble. She’d explained to me then that most libraries didn’t risk wards near their books because the volatile reactions often could endanger the literature itself. A shocking ward could still throw sparks that might start a fire, after all.

  Don’t get cocky, though, I thought while creeping between shelves to the corner I knew held the records regarding human-era ruins.

  It honestly doesn’t surprise me that the ancient humans were experimenting with time magic as well as entropy, I thought as I slid into the shadowed corner where the tomes I was looking for were kept separate. I swear, if there was something difficult or dangerous that might get people killed, humans would poke it with a stick just to make sure.

  The irony of that thought wasn’t lost on me either, since I was deliberately doing something the difficult way when I could have just waited for Jane to ask to go into the library again and quickly vanished the pages when no one was looking.

  But that would have left the chance that someone might blame her, and I’ll not take that chance, I thought grimly, studying the cases before me.

  The regular shelves of the library held books normally: stood on end, spine out to the viewer. Several of the larger tomes were held on display stands independently, but for the vast majority of tomes, they were set on shelves or tucked into cubbies if they were scrolls. But these documents were held behind crystalline cases to better preserve the ancient documents.

  I studied the cases carefully, remembering how Kassandra had taught me that some people would hide runes for wards within elaborate decorations. But I didn’t have forever to delicately search every nook and cranny for what I needed.

  System, you are gonna have to point me toward what pages you need and where they are, I thought, directing the words toward the extra-dimensional entity that had asked me to remove these. Otherwise, it’s going to take far too long to locate them. Honestly, I’m surprised you can’t just zap them if you were able to discern what was written on them from… Well, wherever you are.

  There was a pause of roughly three heartbeats before words flared in my vision a moment later.

  The documents necessary are inside the brown leather folio in the third case to the right. System found them specifically by searching for symbols matching what Traveler has previously secured.

  While it is possible to remove the documents without assistance, such measures were deemed to be excessive given the presence of a Traveler present that could assist.

  That what you meant when you said I was the least damaging option? I thought back to it, threading past several cases to the one that the System had indicated.

  Precisely.

  The single-word response made me shiver, but I pushed it away and studied the contents of the case.

  The crystalline display case had a cracked and faded leather folio in it set on dark gray velvet. Two ornate locks, one in each of the front corners, sealed the unit shut, and the whole case was maybe the size of a regular place setting at a dining table.

  A folded card sat in the corner of the box describing it as “Human-Era Summoning Documents. Currently under study, located inside a sealed compartment as part of a crown-sponsored expedition, donated by the Juneau Academy.”

  I studied the box for a moment, checking the shapes made by the decorations and inspecting the hinges carefully before shrugging.

  Can’t see anything or feel anything in it, but I’m not going to take a chance, I thought and laid my hand gently on top of the front plate of thick glass that made up the box.

  The display box was anchored to the table firmly, appearing to have been worked into the tabletop itself. The only way to actually open it would be to either smash the cut crystal top or unlock it.

  Or just go around the whole problem, I thought with a grin while pushing my Manipulate Element magic into the glass and metal.

  I felt the ward before I triggered it, which allowed me to shift to the narrow end of the box. The ward had been worked into the interior of the case, set to trigger if it was opened without using the specific keys or if the glass was broken. So, instead I shaped the glass out of the way and slipped my hand inside. Tapping the leather folder, it vanished into my Dimensional Pocket without a sound.

  Drawing my hand back out, I summoned the folder back and flipped it open carefully.

  Working with Jane, I’d learned how to handle these ancient documents without damaging them. So I moved as quickly as possible to flip through them until I found the set of pages that the System wanted. How I knew this was that the System flared a message in my vision when one of the pages whipped by.

  That one.

  Page one of seven.

  Whenever I found one of the pages, I sucked it back into my Dimensional Pocket, knowing that the System had its own way of pulling items out of that space if it wanted to.

  When the ticker hit ‘page seven of seven’ I flicked through the last two pages of the folio, memorizing what was written on them before vanishing the document case back into my Dimensional Pocket and then using the same power to return it to its place inside the case.

  Another quick bit of work with Manipulate Element had the case closed back up and I slipped out the balcony door and away.

  All in all, it was rather anticlimactic. There were no ‘near misses’ with a guard, or the library keeper returning at an unexpected moment. As I crept back along the ledge, I held back the urge to feel let down at how simple it had been.

  I’m more than capable of something like this, I reminded myself. A job should be easy if you are prepared for it. Shit, I’m a dimensional hopping handyman-slash-bodyguard, my life is weird enough already without needing artificial injections of drama to up the tension.

  Slipping up and over the windowsill to re-enter the hallway some distance from the guarded library doors, I gave myself a full-body shake and smiled as the success message from the System blazed in front of my eyes.

  When that faded, I started back toward the girls. I pointedly didn’t think about the pages of ancient parchment I’d stolen, or the information that I’d read off of them as I’d secured it for the System. The extra-dimensional supercomputer hadn’t said anything about me not reading them. I just didn’t want to dwell on that information at the moment.

  Instead, I distracted myself with an amusing line of thought that floated up while I snuck past another set of guards.

  Though, my life would make for an interesting anime. ‘I Was Summoned To Another World by Sorority Girls In Need Of A Bodyguard’ would totally fit the random shit I’ve been seeing.

  I have a ! Feel free to hop on and chat or ask questions.

  website for links to my other work as well as updates on this one. It has links to all the other places to find this work too!

  Amazon, I'll be editing and pulling down the files as time goes on, but I'll let folks know here ahead of time.

  Patreon! Additional advance chapters will be available there as well as art and some future projects I'm working on.