The Eisengrahl Library stands out because it's the only building completely built with red and brown brickwork that's been worn through the ages. It's a large cathedral-esque building that seems to have withstood the test of time, with no newer-age steelwork built into it for reinforcement. The entrance is the only aspect that has seemingly changed at a certain point, with slightly aged metallic grand double doors greeting anyone who wants to venture within. The mysterious air around it is enhanced by the single lunette window that rests high above the entrance, almost blatantly saying that none may intrude upon the sanctity of its interior. Ezel and Larlunt arrived outside of the building and could see a faint light emanating from within via the window, signalling that Iala or someone else was still awake and present. Larlunt casually pushed the double doors open and followed suit after Ezel let himself in.
The taller and narrower stained windows on both sides of the library are nearly completely dark on the outside, yet they still let in ample light for the interior during the day. This gave the entrance hall an open and spacious atmosphere, which was replaced by the mystique and intrigue of the darkness that came with the nighttime. Rows of wall-hung lanterns lit up the place, with a mixed assortment of ancient books and databanks populating the near ceiling-high shelves on both sides of the hall itself. The odd mix of different knowledge from what can be described as different eras had always left Ezel in awe, with his only regret being that he's yet to read everything in here. However, he'd already concluded that while still valuable, the majority of the information here is largely disjointed, adding to the miscellaneous nature of the library and its indifferent standing in the eyes of most Eisenites. As such, the majority of Eisenites didn't bother coming here, since most of the words these books and databanks were laden with merely spoke of times that were far too foreign and unrelated to their daily lives. Now and then Ezel would find something worthwhile, with Iala not caring if he took a tome or two home and never returned it. Besides her, he's the only one who cares for this place.
The pair of them kept walking deeper into the library, walking past aged chairs and tables. They eventually made it to the back of the library, with a large circulation desk that was in the shape of a half-oval coming into view. It was littered with books, databanks plugged into an old device that analysed and displayed the data via a projected blue-screen hologram. Amongst this mess, the notable shape of Iala sitting in a chair and reading a book looked up and greeted the visitors with a warm smile, followed by a head nod.
"I'm glad you two found each other. Took a bit longer than I thought if I'm being honest," Iala stated.
"I found him napping up in the tower. I couldn't bring myself to disturb his beauty sleep," Larlunt joked. "He's an interesting one, just like you said." Ezel was somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that the two had been speaking about him prior, but that feeling came and went when he recalled his reason for being there.
"So... Why's a Starklander here in Eisengrahl?" he asked Iala. "Straight to the point huh? Well, I guess it can't be helped." Iala finally closed the book she was reading, then she continued "Larlunt here had just arrived in the village earlier this afternoon. As per her duty, she's supposed to report to either me or Barragan about any changes in the other villages. As my way of thanking you for your labour, I figured I'd bend the rules a bit and let you in on some potentially interesting information."
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Ezel immediately perked up. Iala knew that any information about the world beyond Eisengrahl would wipe away any reservations or grief from the manual labour he unwillingly had to partake in. However, something felt off. "Wait, then why isn't Barragan here? He is the Älteste, no?"
"He was here earlier when I came to the library," Larlunt responded. "He was less than happy about Iala wanting to share this type of information with you as a mere 'reward,' but he eventually gave in and gave us the green light. He left before hearing anything of my report, so I'll have to go to him afterwards." Larlunt said all of this while walking up to Iala's desk and gingerly hopping up to sit on it. "Iala said to hold onto the report and relay it to her as well only after finding you."
Ezel grabbed a nearby chair and swung it around, sitting down with the back of it facing forward and resting his arms on top of it, "That's a bit weird but this day's been anything but normal, so let's get to it." At this point, both Iala and Ezel eyed Larlunt with curiosity.
"Well then, where to start? Well, the Omnia have been extremely restless as of late. They're usually docile to an extent and just wander the wastelands but they've turned rather aggressive. Even attacking each other on a whim," Larlunt stated. Ezel's only knowledge of the Omnia is from what Iala had once told him when he was a child. She spoke of malformed creatures that traverse the wilderness, some having humanoid shapes and that they were various sizes. They had black skin lined with irregular white patterns similar to veins, had an inconsistent amount of limbs and eyes and that they were solitary creatures. They're why travelling outside of the village is prohibited since they become extremely aggressive should they see any organic lifeform. Only Starklanders can defeat them, yet a younger Ezel wasn't deterred upon hearing this. He still had the desire to go beyond the walls of Eisengrahl.
"While their behaviour is irregular, this change alone wouldn't necessarily be something to worry about. If they feel like killing each other, then by all means I wouldn't stop them. The real issue is that there's a pack of them forming." Ezel couldn't help but find these developments exciting in an odd sense, then that feeling slightly went away when he turned to look at Iala while Larlunt was saying all of this. She had her familiar deadpan expression, but her eyes had an uncharacteristic intensity to them.
"Hohlvene is still secure, but the villages are the most likely at risk. Even with Eisengrahl's wall, a potential mass onslaught from an Omnia pack would be lethal." Silence followed Larlunt's statement. Iala at this point had begun to stare at the ceiling while leaning back in her chair, while Ezel was still processing all of this. He finally broke the silence, "Hohlvene?"
"Oh, sorry. That's where the Starklanders live and train for their entire lives." Ezel nodded in appreciation, but something about this felt... off. He wasn't sure if this was because of the overload of new information, his child-like curiosity being satiated, or the lack of a certain urgency or notable acknowledgement of everything that's been shared. "Wait, Larlunt. What you just said now. How come-"
Ezel's inquiry was cut short by the library doors opening in the distance. A slightly hurried step could be heard echoing through the hall leading up to the group. As the sole figure drew closer, Ezel's palpable excitement was snuffed out instantly. His once doe-like expression of fascination quickly turned into a grimace. The figure that emerged was none other than Älteste Barragan himself.