Down he descended until he reached the bottom of the stairs. Once he set claw on the floor the entrance leading to the outside world closed leaving Griff in the dark. The panic of being thrust into complete darkness was short lived as symbols on the floor began to glow. Having mixed feeling about glowing objects, Griff walked entirely off the stairs towards the center of the room. His distrust was proven correct as the room filled with blinding light as a force latched around his throat cutting off his airway. It lasted only a few second leaving him gasping for air on the floor.
"No more glowing stones," Griff complained trying to soothe his aching throat. He groaned a little more before realizing he spoke rather than grunting. "I can speak?" He cried in his restored voice.
"As wonderful as that is can you plus quiet it down?" Drew a voice from the ground. Looking down Griff saw a large fluffy cat slink from around a nearby bookcase. Stopping short the cat looked up at the dragon with its bottle green eyes. "What sort of twisted joke is this?" The cat approached Griff to get a better look at him. Griff was too distracted by the new change in scenery to properly process what was happening. Somehow he went from cold stone room to what looked like a warm library. How’d he get here? Did he die?
"I must say this is the most impressive illusion I have seen." The cat reached out a paw to touch one of Griff's claws. Even though it felt like as light as feather he could still feel the cat’s paw. He was awake and alive alright.
"I'm not an illusion; I'm a human...I mean dragon. Look, I can explain." Griff tried to explain. “Can you at least tell where we are?”
“The Hall of Records of course. You summoned the Sphinx! How could you not know?” The cat asked but was drowned out by Griff shouting, “I made it!"
He carefully stepping over the cat to get a better look around. "Oh if only Nick could see this." The shelves were so tall he had to stretch his long neck to peer over them. There was a soft light that Griff did not even care where it was coming from.
"I don't know what sort of joke she is playing, but you need to leave." The cat appeared on top of the bookcase just in front of Griff.
"What? Why?"
"Are you asking me that? I mean look at you!" Shouted the cat, his tail bristled out. "This is the final resting place for all of the human knowledge; there is no place for a clumsy, flame breathed lizard who can't even hold a scroll without tearing right through it with his claws."
"I summoned the Sphinx and solved her riddle! I have just as much right to be here as you." Griff drew himself to full height subconsciously spreading his wings to make himself look bigger. Unfortunately, his wings pushed against the bookcases nearby causing them to lean a little bit.
"Watch it!" The cat shouted. A force pushed back against Griff's wings setting the case upright again. Folding his wings close to him, Griff apologized profusely lowering his head to survey the damage he had caused. The cat landed right in front of Griff obscuring his vision.
"Stop! You're just made a huge mess for me to clean up. You've done enough damage without trying to 'help.'" In response, Griff snorted through his nose ruffling the cat's long fur.
"You're in the boat as me! You don't have hands either." The cat fixed Griff with a hard stare for a few seconds when the stone hanging from his collar began to glow a faint purple. All the scrolls and books that had fallen lifted up floating in the air before flying back onto the shelf where, Griff assumed, was were supposed to go. "The exit will form on the wall behind you." Stated the cat smugly before leaping straight up to land on the top of the bookcase he just fixed. Faintly he could hear the rustling of the other side of the case being put back together again.
Then there was quiet. It was an almost impossible quiet like after a snowfall. Bending his neck, Griff saw the wall behind him morph into a dragon-sized double door. It even opened its left door slightly as if beckoning Griff to just walk through. Giving another snort he turned his back to the door to wake away. When heard the door give a faint click he just kept walking. He can’t leave. Not after everything he’d been through just to get here. Besides, not like he has anywhere else he could go now.
----------------------------------------
The library was more amazing than Griff's wildest daydream. The shelving was still made of wood but looked like nothing he'd seen before. At first, he tried making his way through to see exactly how much the Hall contained. Countless scrolls with an occasional book nestled in where everywhere he looked. Griff found himself wondering how far back into history did the library started to collect. Turning a corner he got his answer, he seemed to have wandered into an area made of stone walls painted with crude symbols.
The stone appeared to have been cut cleanly from where it was originally painted inside of a cave or even on the surface of a large boulder. Having never seen anything like it Griff stared at the drawing trying to make out what each splash of color was supposed to represent. While looking over an extensive mural of a tribe hunting an animal the overhead light began to fade.
High above the ceiling's gentle light had changed into lines and twinkling lights. The lines where a subtle color matching a small unblinking orb in the middle of them. Neck craned Griff walked along the red line to see where it ended.
'Wow. I wonder if that cat knows anything about those.' Two steps later Griff ran into something. Slightly dazed Griff looked around to see what he had run into. It was a raised up platform bordered by railings reminding Griff of a fenced courtyard. Scrolls with beige ribbons stacked neatly next to a black circle etched into the wood floor. The cat was sitting on the outside of the circle holding a scroll using his charm.
The cat looked away from the scroll to say in a bored tone, "You're still here?" Not waiting for an answer the cat went back to looking at the scroll.
"Where did you come from?" Asked Griff confused as to how he got to what appeared to be the cat's personal living space.
"I am assuming you mean my workspace rather than me personally." The cat rolled back up the scroll using a beige ribbon. "Medical. Song Dynasty." The ribbon turned blue before the scroll zipped away in the library.
"Whoa, that's amazing! How are you doing all this? Is your charm really that powerful?" Griff asked leaning in too close to the cat's space. The cat's claws raked across his face but his scales were too thick to actually feel anything.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"Back off." The cat had his paw up ready to strike again, his tail hair standing on end. "Shouldn't you terrorize a town or something? Some of us have work to do."
"I'm a human! Well, I was before I got turned into this." Griff sighed resting his head on the platform with the rest of his body lying on the floor below.
“What is it that you want? A way to turn yourself back? A cure for the plague ravaging your village? Better yet, are you looking for a weapon to crush your enemies?" The cat asked with his ear flat on his head.
"What? No. I don't want any of that. I just want to read." Griff pulled away fearing the cat would strike again.
"What?" The cat asked flatly anger briefly leaving his body before flaring back up again. "YOU'RE LYING!"
"I'm not. Look, before I was turned into this I was a normal boring Mage whos only interest was reading. And now I can even do that." Realizing he may never so much as hold a book again Griff flopped his head down. Nick would have loved to learn that dragons cannot cry.
"Listen,'" Instructed the cat pressing his paw right against Griff's snout. Griff opened an eye to not have to look cross-eyed down at the feline. "If what you are saying is true and all you want to do is read I have a proposal.” Griff held his breath in anticipation. "You read what I tell you can read. The second you request anything else I know you are lying and will forcefully be ejected from the Hall."
For a second Griff couldn't breathe. With a quick motion, Griff scooped the cat onto his snout in his version of a hug.
"Oh thank you. Thank you, Cat." The cat, in turn, made an unhappy noise.
"My name is Melvin!" Corrected the cat jumped off his snout. "Here." A scroll smacked Griff in the eye.
"Ouch. I'm Griff by the way."
Melvin went back to plush purple pillow without another word. Smiling inside Griff settled in to read for the first time in what felt like a century.
----------------------------------------
Nick shuffled in his seat a little curling into himself even more. He was sitting a ferry with one other person and what appeared to be his servants. Out of all the places, the other could have sat he chooses the spot right next to Nick.
“Could you believe the nerve of that man back there?” The young man asked stretching himself out. “Not my fault his wife decided to give birth right before we were supposed to depart.” Peeking out a little from his cloak Nick assessed the man. Obviously from wealth judging by how he sneers at everyone as if their mere presence offends him. When Nick didn’t answer the young man took that as a sign to just keep talking.
"I mean I headed to Alexandria to make my mark in the world. I don’t have time for some peasant to create yet another mouth to feed.” The young man was using a knife to remove some dirt from underneath his nails.
“Those peasants till the fields to fill your table.” Nick reminded the Nobleman. He was not quite able to hold his tongue in situations like this. On more than just one occasion, his tongue got him into trouble. The man gave a huff that reminded Nick of a fussy horse before answering.
“Must they breed like vermin to do so?” Nick was able to hold this tongue that time. There was no use talking to someone whose worldviews were so small. He turned towards the water hoping the man would stop trying to talk to him. Not taking the hint the young Noble kept airing out his opinion.
“Enough about that. We just need to keep focusing on what is really important,” the young man gave a pause to put away his knife.
“Knowledge?” Nick supplied still not looking at the man.
“Prestige.” Corrected the man. “With prestige and money, power is sure to follow.” Thankful he was wearing a hood, Nick could not hold back rolling his eyes. Of course, that’s what he thought was important, from birth that was all he was conditioned to believe. Not that any of that mattered to Nick. After this ferry ride, he would never have to see this man again.
After a few days on the ferry the phrase, ‘After this I’ll never see him again.’ became a mantra. It became sort of a game for the young man trying to get Nick to admit more personal details about his life. Even during meal time, the man kept talking trying to Nick to react to anything. After what seemed like an eternity the ferry had finally arrived at the port leading to the Library of Alexandria. When the man finally left his side to change into his finest vestments Nick took the opportunity to take his leave. No one paid any mind to him as he scurried off down the road putting as much distance between him and the annoying Nobleman. There was a fair bit of distance between the dock and library so Nick had to be quick to make it before nightfall.
Puffing slightly he was not prepared for the heat of Africa. The whole experience seems more surreal when not even a week ago he almost froze to death. Feeling more comfortable he removed his hood to cool down a little. The second he let go of the hood Nick hear the sound of horse hooves pulling a cart. He quickly moved to the side of the road as to avoid being run over. In a quick burst of hooves and dust, the cart breezed past Nick. Comfortable enough Nick got back on the road when the cart stopped suddenly. Nick was fearful of what was happening, he’d been in Africa for less than an hour and it looked like he was about be mugged already when the Nobleman from before poked his head out of the cart. Approaching the cart Nick looked up at the smiling man wearily.
“Are you following me?” The man inquired when Nick got close enough.
“What? I left before you did!” Nick protested angrily. “Besides that, I thought you wanted to get the Library and away from us ‘peasant folk’.”
“Just as I thought, you are a peasant.” The man’s smile still plastered on his face. “Excellent I am in need of a new servant.” Nick made a noise of disgust before walking away towards the Library again.
“They’ll never let you in you know.” The man taunted jauntily. Nick stopped in his tracks. With a smile Nick could hear, the man explained, “See I know are headed the Library for whatever reason but I know for certain you do not have a recommend.” At the word ‘recommend’ Nick frowned. This was the first time he’d ever heard of needed some formal invitation.
“You don’t know what you are talking about.” Nick accused taking the bait and turning back to yell at the man. Even at this distance, Nick could see the man’s smile grow wider. The man went so far as to hold a scroll tied with a red ribbon to taunt him further. Swallowing hard Nick was afraid to see if the scroll was authentic or just a cruel trick. Choosing to call the man’s bluff he turned to continue walking with his heart in his throat. A noise behind him signaled that the horse was urged to walk again. Unfortunately, the Nobleman was not quite done with him.
“You peasants and your pride.” The man commented with a condescending chuckle. “Learn to read and write a little and you become full of yourselves.”
“What do you want?” Nick spoke through his teeth.
“You are daft; I already told you I need a servant. Preferably one who can read and write, such as yourself.”
“There are plenty of people at the Library who can do just that.” Nick left out the ‘probably’ he wanted to add to the end of that statement.
“As true as that maybe I cannot take them with me when I finally take my place as Count.” The man complained “That’s where you come in. A servant who purely my own, one without any prior Masters to whom they still might be loyal to.”
As much as he hated to admit it was a good idea. Nick nibbled his lower lip thinking. There were two options he was faced with, either he reveals his ties to the Alchemist Council in Europe or become a servant to this entitled rich kid. There was the third option of just sneaking in at night. The problem with sneaking in is that there was no guarantee that he’d be alone at night. Nick himself spent plenty a night working even after Griff had fallen asleep. He conveniently forgot to mention he had a key to the library.
The incident with the navy was still fresh in his mind Nick gave a hard gulp both literally as well as figuratively to swallow his pride. Trying to make it look like he wasn’t too desperate he gave a half turn at his waist to shout back, “What’s the pay like?”
“Better than the begging you’d be doing that’s for certain.” Nick groaned the pay was going to be as terrible as the work. Not that the money really mattered to Nick. Never the less he found himself approaching the horse-drawn carriage. “We can sort of the details later; you can ride with the coachmen.” The man gave a wave towards the driver before disappearing. Nick made himself comfortable next to the driver who gave a nod to signal they were going to start driving again.
Nick’s backside was becoming numb from the jostling and sitting on the hard driver’s bench when he finally caught sight of the Library. It was clear there was a mixture of culture in the design. The part he noticed first was the dome in the very center which everything seemed to be built leading to. Long rectangle buildings stretched on either side of the dome towards Nick. Green shrubbery stood stark from the mostly tan landscape surround the area. At the entrance, etched from solid stone stood the ancient Egyptian God of Knowledge, Thoth was stationed to welcome all curious minds. Thoth was depicted as a man with a thin beaked bird’s head in place of a man’s.
As impressive as it was the Library seemed rather out of place when compared to the older and dirtier looking town surrounding it. Was the Library rebuilt recently? If so, why? Fearing the worst Nick turned to the driver hoping the man spoke French or English. Deciding on French he tried his luck.
“You wouldn’t happen to speak any French would you?” He tried looking to see if the man reacted any. When the man did not respond he switched to English. “Perhaps English?” The man gave Nick a glare but answering.
“What? If it is about the Duke I can’t tell you anything. I was hired to take his lordship to the Library and that’s all.” The driver admitted.
"I wasn't going to ask about that. I was going to ask if you knew anything about the Library itself."
"Not much to tell, they're always working on it though. No matter how much work they do it never seems to be enough." The man commented casually. "Not that any of that should matter to you. You'll be too busy tending to your new master to notice."
Nick remained quiet the rest of the ride there. Worrying his lower lip he was deep in thought trying to figure out how to spend as much time as he could in the library.