Atlantanomicus -sga-mcshep, rated: pg13

[spiralicious]

Atlantanomicus
Author: Spiralicious
Rating: PG-13
Relationships: Sheppard/McKay, mentioned O'Neill/Jackson
Characters: John Sheppard, mentioned: Teyla Emmagen, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Jack O'Neill, & Daniel Jackson
Additional Tags: fantasy/TTRPG inspired setting au, curse, angst, evil book, quest
Summary: John is working to break the curse of an evil book.
Notes: Written for the prompt "block". Also written for Stargate Anniversary Fest 2024 Bingo, Prompt: Don't Touch That!;Allbingo's Fall Fest Bingo 2024, Prompt: Magic; Ushobwri's Monster Fest 2024, Prompt: Free For All; Spook Me 2024, Prompt: evil book/Grimoire; Whatif_AU's challenge #68: Supernatural AU;

It was getting harder to ignore the book fighting to work its way off the shelf. John had packed the shelf as tight as he could, but the book had been able to produce a surprising amount of movement. He knew it could vibrate. The jumping up and down in it's limited space had been unexpected. The important thing was, it hadn't left the shelf yet and was expending all of its energy on that and not talking to John.

And John could ignore anything, he decided.

He flexed his hand, trying to avoid scratching at the full body itch that had crept up on him. His nails that had been slowly yellowing and hardening the last few days turned into full-blown claws last night, and he didn't quite trust himself to use them yet. Unfortunately, the dry, blue patches of skin that currently covered his hands and about a third of his body were also hardening into thick scales. Just turning the pages of the book he was trying to study was difficult. The topper on the uncomfortable cake was the insistent throbbing of his right temple, which experience taught him indicated a second horn was working its way through and should take about three days.

It also all meant his transformation was progressing. He wasn't sure how long the clerics would continue to let him stay there and study. It had taken all of Teyla's diplomacy to get them to let him stay in the first place. They knew he was cursed and he was getting worse. He tried leaving the room they had allowed him as little as possible. Their library was also his best hope to figure things out - how to destroy the book and reverse the curse - Daniel had told him as much. Teyla had already moved on. She had her own responsibilities, and he'd urged her to do so. Both the book and Daniel had been pretty clear this was a task John would ultimately have to do on his own.

He would just have to work faster.

John didn't know what the curse was exactly or what ultimate form it would take. He did know it was punishment for ignoring the book. Using the book had its consequences - you became more dependent upon it, you stopped caring about things - and people, but ignoring the book once you had used it had consequences, all of which John had gotten a taste of in their original mission to capture the book.

It had been the four of them then; Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, and John. Getting the book had been too easy. It was on display in a private gallery, just out in the open on a stand. There were no extra guards. They had escaped with minor injuries. It was going to be the easiest gold they'd ever made. Then the voices started, talking to John, very specifically. Later, he'd learn from Daniel that the book only called out to certain people with certain qualities. Apparently, there was a specific rock you could hold to see if you had these qualities that apparently allowed you to wield a very specific strain of magic, but John hadn't cared about the specifics. The book obviously loved him, and at the time, he thought he was losing his mind.

The constant attacks started soon after. It was like the book was a beacon. They were told they had woken up something ancient, but the creepy sorcerer monologuing at them didn't get to finish, as he had abruptly turned into pink vapor. Apparently, John had done it, with the book. He hadn't even tried. He was just holding it.

Then the book just wouldn't shut up. John tried to ignore it, but the book had some really great ideas. It also had some truly horrifying ideas. The group decided they couldn't hand over the book anymore. John's reasons were different than the others, but they had all agreed.

John had refused to believe anything was wrong. He could control the book. He had free will over which of its suggestions he listened to. If the book got increasingly hostile and possessive towards Rodney, well, John could protect him. It had been easy to ignore Teyla's warnings, as she'd always been the cautious one, and Ronon's looks, as he was the poster child for paranoia, but then there was the day John blacked out.

He never wanted to see that look on Rodney's face again. He'd seen Rodney scared, but this was absolute terror. John wanted to fillet alive whatever had dared to threaten his Rodney, until he realized what Rodney was scared of was him. John had a new plan.

He left that night. Ronon watched as he said goodbye to Rodney sleeping form, which was notably the farthest from John's kit it had ever been. Teyla followed him despite John's protest. He'll never know if it was to keep him from getting hurt or to keep him from hurting others.

John knew the "secret" location Jack O'Neill had retired to. Jack opened a tavern under an obnoxious alias - Homer. If you knew what to listen for, you knew exactly who "Homer" was. And where there was a Jack O'Neill, there was a Daniel Jackson, or soon would be.

And while Rodney was the self-proclaimed "smartest man in existence," Daniel knew weird stuff. He knew language and lore and books, like everyone else knew how to breathe.

Daniel was apprehensive to help. John wasn't sure if he really didn't know much or if he just wanted them to leave. John had started growing his first horn around then, and John had never been Jack's favorite person, but he was pretty sure it wasn't any of that. The entire time Daniel monologued about what he knew about the book and the magic that fueled it, at double speed, his eyes never left Jack. Jack's eyes never left the book. He never said a word, but his scowl etched increasingly deeper into his face, and he had a white knuckle grip on the table with his non-drinking hand the whole time. When Daniel finally ran out of words, John wasn't sure he'd taken a breath the entire time, he is the one that rushed them out in a sweeping gesture, a hand on each John and Teyla's backs, firmly guiding them to the door. He was all smiles and pleasantries as he pointed them towards the clerics and their library. John could read the body language, though. Daniel used his whole body to block the door once they were out. His eyes tracked every movement. John and Teyla took their leave.

The most important thing John took from that meeting, as far as he was concerned, was the book didn't want John to learn anything about it. If he came across any information that would help him, even in a language he didn't understand, everything became muddled and he got a headache. He sat those books aside and hoped he could talk a scribe into copying those sections down before he used up all of his limited goodwill.

The book audibly slid forward, making a good two inches stick out from the shelf. John smacked it back with a stick, unwilling to touch it with his bare hands at this point.

He had to work faster. For Rodney.

Comments

[adafrog]

Good.

[spiralicious]

Thank you.