“You sure you want to take that tone with the Divine Beast that makes you look like a scaly worm by comparison?”
The mouse’s response drew a scowl from Neska. “Let her try. Snakes are a proud species; we're flexible, remarkable...uh...low profile! All those traits necessitated that the Divines take our limbs to keep it fair."
"So what you're saying is, all I need is wings to put me at a permanent advantage."
Neska let out a grunt. "I have magical bolts. The higher ground need not apply."
She had seen the library achingly close throughout the day, and the fact that she didn't think to go here first felt almost criminal. Cool marble slabs expertly polished beneath their feet (or scales, in her case) greeted them as they entered through the main double doorway, where humanoids normally came through. A larger barn door opened to permit larger Awakened, sliding on a small rail, and opened to a cavernous space.
The entry room was massive, and three full floors of books greeted them. The large entry room towered upward, and Neska could see the higher floors from below, with metal railings cordoning off the floors from the entryway like extended balconies. Expansive windows behind and above Neska let in a burst of sunlight that kept the room brightened, even with the arcane lights spaced out on small chandeliers above their heads.
Ahead of them was a large counter, bracketing an area where one of the librarians was currently assisting other students. One was human, the other was a member of one of the avian species, their face and hands covered in bright red and teal feathers.
Even though humans were the most populous in Valos, Juiksen, and what remained in Arivol, a smaller population of other humanoids constituted a large portion of the representation. The short, stocky earth children–not to be confused with dwarves, which she felt was an offensive name–had a presence here, almost no taller than a short adult female human. She noted conspicuously raised steps by the counter for shorter individuals and elsewhere to reach higher.
She lifted her body slightly; she could reach a taller height, but it was uncomfortable and put strain on her spine past a certain point. Then again, a lack of height never stopped me; I just found a place to climb up.
“What are you doing?” Juni asked, looking amused at Neska's test of her maximum comfortable height.
“Uh, s-stretching.”
“You’re my personal ‘grab things off the top shelf’ friend, with that kind of reach.” Syra chuckled off to the side, drawing Juni’s attention. “So, Syra, give me some numbers. How many books, floors, hidden passages, tombs of forbidden lore are there?”
“There are three floors, with books, scrolls, and other media. Here, the librarian can explain it better.”
Syra led them forward across the entryway, towards a plain-looking woman in her early 30s with her brown hair tied in a bun, dressed in a black vest and dark shirt. She waved to them as they approached the counter. “Greetings and good evening, Syra. Are you here for any research topics?”
“Just browsing, Rowana,” she said casually. “I’d like to introduce Cassia and Juni. This is their first full day of studies here at the academy.”
The woman looked them up and down, then laughed softly. “Uh, okay, I have to ask…are you two friends?”
“Yes. She's my height assistant snake,” Juni replied.
Neska pouted softly. “I literally pulled you out of a monster’s throat. I demand a promotion to bestest snake friend.”
The librarian’s laughter ceased. “Oh, goodness. I don’t think you’re joking, are you?”
“Well, everything except the ‘getting swallowed by a monster’ part.” Juni’s deadpan delivery left the woman almost rocking on her heels, stumped for words.
“Uh…at any rate, I’m Rowana, Chief Librarian of the Rivilat Archives. I hope that your studies at Rivilat are far more…risk-free. Have you been told anything about this place?”
“No. We were hoping for a tour, actually. This was an unscheduled visit,” Neska explained.
“Ah, splendid!” Rowana clapped her hands together, and a warm smile creased her face. “Well then, let’s get to it! Most of the archives are open to the public, both on the campus and to citizens of Rivilat. It has a history spanning several centuries, and even supposedly survived a brush with annihilation when Ouroboros devoured the world a thousand years ago.”
Neska laughed. She didn’t mean to, but a hissing laugh managed to escape her snout. “Oh, I worried you might take offense to that,” the librarian sighed.
Neska waved with one hand, her body bowing in laughter still. “No. No, it’s…I keep thinking that if the world ended, how did life endure, and who recorded that calamity? There’s a logical gap in this fable. Also, my status as a lamia has no bearing on this. At all.” Actually, it might, which is more worrying. Play it cool, Neska.
Do you always pep-talk like this?
Motivation and drive are important, Vivi. I spent a few weeks trying to write with my tail, until I succeeded on a fateful day.
Okay. You are persistent, I give you that.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a soft chuckle from the Interface. “At any rate,” Neska continued, “Please, show us around. I’d like to know what I have to work with.”
“Right this way.” She guided them to rows of books behind a swinging half-door to the main floor and waved to the shelves of books, journals, and scrolls stored in metal and leather cases. “ The first floor is our least sensitive materials. We’ve collected many writings over the centuries, and there are ongoing efforts to both catalog and recover information from older documents. Preservation efforts are a cornerstone of the institute’s success over the centuries. You’ll note it feels a little cool in here, yes?”
Neska shook her head; it had felt a touch cooler than the warm summer evening, but not by much. “Protective enchantments are woven into the brickwork of this building, three full floors of material, artifacts, and memory crystals. The first floor covers more common topics such as sciences, basic arcanology, historical and philosophical books. We’re one of the largest collections of knowledge in the world.”
“And well defended,” Juni pointed out. “Minus the front door, I doubt a dragon could tear this place down without really putting in some effort. Or maybe a Tier five caster. The bricks are made of some of the toughest minerals and reinforced stone I’ve ever smelled or tasted."
"Tasted?" Neska glanced nervously at Juni, smacking her muzzle lightly. "Please tell me you didn't make a meal of the infrastructure."
"Nah. That's dessert," she grinned. Also…” her whiskers twitched as she took a deep sniff, eyes lighting up with surprise, “If my material scents are correct, the composition is Mithril reinforced steel work? Goodness, that is quite thorough.”
“The building's wards are protective on a variety of fronts. The protections have been woven and reinforced over the centuries,” Rowana continued, hands neatly folded behind her back, and occasionally waving one hand as they progressed through. “You’ll note the walkways and aisles on the first floor are exaggerated. We accommodated the Awakened once the first ones began training at the academy, nearly eighteen years ago. It took two years from Arivol’s destruction for mages to research means to combat the Varadur.”
She pointed to a small tortoise-shaped student the size of a small table, currently reaching for a book; a young woman grabbed the book for them, and helped them open it after the tortoise struggled to flip the pages. “Plus, we keep an aide or two on hand, should their limbs or appendages prove difficult to pick up the material.”
Well, that’s handy. Wait. I’m still making puns in my head. Neska fought back a laugh as she examined one row filled with leather-bound books and crisply lettered titles on the spines. “How many books?”
“I think the number is...Four million, three hundred forty-two thousand, nine-hundred and change?” She directed them to a short flight of stairs and a scissor lift that had a small metal gate for access. It could easily fit a large Awakened, should they choose to go to the second floor.
Rowana pointed to a bust at landing on the stairs, overlooking the large entry plaza, depicting a woman with a slender face, short nose, and rounded eyes, made of pure white marble, hands crossed and clasping her arms, head bent slightly. “That was the first archmage who founded the modern incarnation of Rivilat Academy, Glenda Novali. She lived long enough to see the initial barrier wall surrounding the campus and part of the plateau rise. Her writings constitute some of our collection, something on the order of one thousand, two hundred and twenty articles, journals, or notebooks.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
A woman dedicated to knowledge. Neska could feel a swelling pride on seeing that statue, even with the brief description. Perhaps something subconscious about it resonated with her? They moved on before she could give it much thought; there would be time for that later.
The second floor was much like the first, with polished marble and tiled flooring. The bookcases here looked robust, reinforced to accompany the heavy, constant weight of the literature and other storage crates stacked on them. “There are no restrictions on this floor, either. We have natural sciences written here, along with extensive records on Classes, including what we believe are the precursors to acquiring them in life."
"How many?" Neska asked.
The librarian waved her hand to a large room of books. Neska's eyes widened. "That's...a lot of classes."
“I thought people only got one class,” Juni interjected. Rowana wagged her finger, as if this weren’t the case.
“Yes and no. The classes may start wildly different, and a person at sixteen may have a much different view of what they wish to do with their lives. That is why classes tend to afford some latitude for those who wish to change their vocation, in skills or abilities. At higher Tiers, classes start to merge into hybrids of other specializations or entirely new ones altogether. Some are poorly documented due to the lack of living examples. Or those willing to share it.”
She let out a resigned sigh. “There are other training documents here on what one should focus on to enhance a class or pursue specific Abilities. But the Interface is fickle. It does not always guarantee a consistent path. Many believe that an individual's personality or their Titles may affect their choices. There are more aspects to our Soul than six numbers, as I am keen to remind people. If six Attributes were responsible for everything in our lives…well…that might actually be terrifying, don’t you think?”
“Or maybe there are hidden Attributes?” Neska proposed.
Like Soul Resistance. This might be the place to search for that answer, among other things. I’ll have to be subtle about this and other topics. I won’t get all the answers I want in one day, and likely won’t find all of them here.
The librarian came to a halt. “There are many texts describing what some consider to be hidden Attributes or Abilities. Either because they are so minor they should not affect most people’s lives, or that there is some hidden limiter from the Interface that obscures it, such that trying to pursue them is not a straightforward endeavor.”
Syra walked forward, now more solid than she usually was. Maybe it was out of respect for the large volume of books and other things that could be damaged by water? Neska should ask her how she controlled that form, and how her Abilites manifested. She understood Juni’s to an extent, and many monster biologies, but not an exhaustive amount of knowledge.
The elementa pointed to the books on one row. “So your lot in life is not defined by the Interface, huh?”
“It’s a tool of guidance. Not a shackle,” Rowana replied. “I think too many people have this perception that it governs every aspect of our lives. I respectfully disagree with that. For those with mundane classes–carpenters, laborers, cartographers, and the like–there is nothing that keeps them from growing into something else, given enough time and patience. Some classes can even evolve within the same single tier."
Neska knew Classes could change, but would that mean hers would, too? If that was the case, was it independent of her evolution? Vivi, can I become a different kind of witch?
Short answer: Yes. I think so. Will it work? I don’t know.
It was a small piece of information that might be useful later.
Rowana waved to the third floor, where the landing had a rope cordon and a small warning sign. “Older materials are stored here. There isn’t as much of interest; it's mostly historical records, census data, journals, and notebooks of individuals of little influence. At any rate, there are some interesting displays I can show off. This way.”
She led them to a series of larger rooms set at the back of the library, bracketed by heavy doors that were currently open. Inside, Neska’s jaw gaped open as she saw arrays of Ceruli crystal–the same crystal that was currently stored in the protective collar around her neck. “Librarian Rowana–”
“Just Rowana, thank you,” she replied with a warm smile.
“Rowana, how…well, this is embarrassing to admit, but a lot of my memory as an Awakened is missing. I don’t recall this particular crystal type, other than that it is used as a medium to store thoughts and memories. Correct?”
“Cassia, some are so badly addled by the process that they need to relearn everything," the librarian sighed. "Judging by your tone and mannerisms, whatever you lost, you will regain."
"Anyway, regarding this crystal. Some would argue you could trap a soul in it, in theory. Memories are just the little bits of smoke from a burning torch that constitute our soul, if I might make an analogy.” She picked up a hexagon-shaped piece with perfectly faceted edges, as if it were a precious gem.
Rowana motioned for them to lean in and observe. “This single crystal here can preserve the memories of the entire life of an individual, even for someone who is as long-lived as the fey. The usage of these crystals as information storage could predate humanoid civilization by several thousand years. Alas, we’ve never found crystals with intact memories that old. Yet."
“How does it work?” Juni leaned in, her ears perking up. “I can hear the crystals almost vibrating. At this very high pitch that I don’t think anyone else can pick up. A hum of energy.”
“Ah, not the first to observe that. I forget the Awakened sometimes have superhuman and supernaturally sharp senses that could only be attained with magic otherwise. One has to cast specific spells that tie the soul to the stone, and these motes of energy are collected and 'read' into the crystal. It is a small drain on a person, and the memories are not ‘lost’ but become fainter, harder to recollect, for a while.”
She put the crystal back on the felt casing she’d withdrawn it from. “There is an ongoing effort to preserve memories of people close to their twilight years, to record the past, and leave a record of our passing.” Her smile slipped a little bit, with the implication that if the Awakened were not successful, then those crystals might be all that was left of them in recorded history, should the Varadur win.
It was a discomforting thought. Neska hoped that whatever Risha left on hers would improve their odds.
Or, give her some final closure on her caring witch, at least. “Is there any way to tell what is on a crystal?” she asked. Juni glanced at her from the corner of her eye, but only tilted her head slightly in acknowledgment.
Rowana scrunched her brow, as if thinking. “Well, yes. The memories can be projected into a person’s mind. Or, through an arcanist projection device, or an APD.”
She showed them a small metal contraption on one table, shaped like a bowl with a recess cut in the center. Several metal buttons raised off the surface, labelled with small runes or lettering. “Navigating a memory–or an entire mind, even–can be difficult. A mind is not linear, nor is it three-dimensional storage. It is a web of interconnected functions. So, simple information can be projected to these, such as writings and photographs. The capacity depends on the quality and intactness of the crystal material, as well.”
“Thank you, truly.” Neska bowed her head slightly, with Rowana putting a hand to her lips, and shying away for a second. “You said there are no restrictions here for information access. But, are there other restrictions in place?”
“I’ll show you.” She led them back down the sets of stairs, with Neska letting out a hissing delight as she skidded down them, her voice warbling as she did. Juni let out a laugh, and Syra sighed.
“She’s so weird.”
“She’s the good kind of weird,” Juni replied confidently, as Rowana walked toward a sign marking a stairwell. Neska didn’t think much of it, except for one glaring fact as they approached the back.
The doorway to the underground portion of the archives was about ten to twelve feet wide, made of thick, shiny metal with numerous wards that spelled out ‘stay away or have a pass key ready’ written in runes she knew were powerful; she could feel the tingle of energy, even at a distance. There were also two keyholes, and even Rowana was wary about getting too close to them, and she held one arm close to her chest.
Juni tapped on the door, and a slight buzzing sound filled the area. When nothing happened, she shrugged. “What’s with this door? This seems robust to the point of being excessive. There are traces of…” She sniffed the air, then her mouth gaped. “Orchithalum? Holy hells, that’s some tough stuff. And it’s being used for a door?”
Rowana nodded. “While Rivilat prides itself as an institution of enlightenment, a select few have opened up discussions, run experiments, and made discoveries that are not for the betterment of humanity. Sensitive records, along with forbidden research, are stored down there.”
Juni's ears pricked up. “Forbidden knowledge? That sounds like the kind of stuff we should be using against the Varadur. Unless said knowledge was the root cause of many of our current challenges?”
Rowana nodded, her gaze more distant. “I have been down there once. Three years, two months, and five days. I…I would not willingly go down there again.” She rubbed her arm uneasily, and she bit her lip gently with her gaze focused on the door. Neska had been about to touch the door frame, but stopped.
The tingle of energy on her fingertips had turned into a vibration. One that ran the length of her arm, down to her shoulder, and left an unsettling churning sensation in her chest, just by her heart. Or maybe right where her mana core was located.
Touching this door felt like a bad idea. “So, why would forbidden knowledge be stored and not outright destroyed?” Neska asked.
The librarian let out a soft sigh. “Destruction of knowledge for me is a sin. Better to store it, and pray a day never comes when you need it. You know?”
Neska relented on her query. “I can understand that. Knowledge by itself does nothing unless acted upon. Oh, I spotted one book I was interested in.” She showed a rather plain book, with the librarian raising a brow.
“‘A History of the Divines,’ by Magnus Runespire? Not many read this one anymore. Everyone thinks the Divines have forsaken us. Except for those with divine connections, and even then, they're not saying much,” Rowana groused. “Any particular reason?”
“Leisure reading.” She, of course, had other plans for it. “So, how forbidden is forbidden? Would anyone have access to the Restricted area?”
“Myself. And a few professors I’d trust. I don’t have a full listing of what is down there, either.”
“Well, I guess I’ll take just this then,” Neska finished, with Rowana smiling proudly.
“Right this way. You can log it out and keep it on campus grounds, if you can. More sensitive and fragile records must stay within the Archives, and typically, one of the other assistant librarians will help you read through them.” Within a minute, Rowana had written down a small slip of paper and added it to a ledger. “Have a good night, you three.”
A moment later, Neska slithered down the short steps leading to their dorm, the book stowed away into her bag. Juni kept peering at her in curiosity. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking, Juni?”
“You want to know what could be in there that is so forbidden.”
Syra laughed softly. “Good luck. You know that’s only one of the most secure areas on the entire campus. You’re not getting in there. Period. Even as clever as our lamia may think she is, Juni? I don’t think she can spoof that many layers of protection.”
“Cassia has an uncanny power to find clever solutions to difficult problems that no Interface can count on.” Juni’s expression didn’t match her cheery words, however, and the two of them exchanged a knowing glance. She might be thinking the same thing that Neska realized might be a possibility, given the timing of the librarian's last visit. The window of timing before Risha left the academy.
Neska felt an unwelcome chill down her spine as she considered one theory: Risha's work might be down there. And for good reason.
Or worse...Ouroboros.
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