The water was fairly rough here, but not unmanageable by the skilled sailor – although the rocks could prove themselves to be a bit of an obstacle. The large guy sat on the edge of the sailboat with his legs just barely dangling over the water. He glanced at the sailor for a moment before turning back to the ocean. After a brief pause, he glanced again, opened his mouth only to utter nothing and once more returned his vision to the water. He repeated the action a final time when he mustered up the courage and raised his voice just to be just above the loud crashing of waves on rocks. “You know we could just start asking people for their whereabouts,” he insinuated with thin patience in his tone.
“Zolton, I already told you that we’re not taking the risk of questioning someone part of their clan. If I do, they’ll know that we’re onto them,” Pyrei retorted as she pulled the sailboat next to the rocky shore hidden beneath an overhanging stoneledge.
“Who’s to say that we’re the only ones tracking them?” he questioned as his knees and spine popped from a stretch. “Besides, even if we do unknowingly encounter one of them undercover, the worst they could do is set us on the wrong path and we’ll probably end up on another island where they reside.”
“Yes, that’s true. We would definitely be guided to an island where there are more Penumbra members by one of them who would obviously not want us to find them. That’s certainly likely. No, Zolton. That’s extremely unlikely. All you’ve done was convince me to remain confidential, if not even more so. We’re stopping behind this cliff, no one should be able to see us here unless they try, but without the suspicion to investigate there would be no reason to. I know I always say this, but watch what you say in public and keep your head low,” she chuckled, “I’ll check the main territory and you should go through the outer villages. When I’m done in the main area, I’ll head west while you start at the most eastern village and either we'll collide or you’ll finish before me and just return to the ship. We shouldn’t take long though, Yazzalo is waiting for us on his rock.”
“Really? That just sounds spectacular,” Zolton groaned, “It’s so crazy how I’m in no rush to be around that guy.”
“Well seeing as he’s giving us not only better control of our magic but also a place to stay, I think following a curfew isn’t much.”
“Don’t pity me. We both know you’re a natural with your Light while I’m still acting like there are mountains on my back.”
“Low self-esteem doesn’t help anything. Besides, you’ve improved a fair bit since the cave… At least enough to ward off anyone, although they may just be put off by something so unordinary. That’s just another thing to use to your advantage, right?” she smiled. “Remember instruction,” Pyrei concluded, skipping from rock to rock.
The rocky coast soon became a lush forest, although not dense. It was surprisingly clean and organized for something of the wild. Stones seemed to be scattered amongst each other, the trees seemed to follow a checker-like plot pattern, and the ground had not a single blade of grass; it was only dirt and the small, scattered stones upon them. The only thing that felt out of place was a red, stone path running through it – one end likely ran to Zolton’s assigned area and the other to Pyrei’s. So she took to it, nearly forgetting her mission as the unordinary, yet delightful, scenery pulled her into a daydream while keeping her legs subconsciously strolling. It was only when the overhanging leaves turned into a clear blue sky and the calm serenity of the forest’s ambience devolved into chatter and scraping of shoes on pavement was Pyrei brought back into her body. She brought down her sight, almost falling back when she realized the decently-sized village before her - at least one larger than what she expected.
But despite its size, the homes were constructed mostly of wood, with concrete only being used in small parts of it such as the frame of doors, windows, and only some stairs if the home happened to have them. A water fountain sat oddly, somewhat near the center of the village but noticeably off center. It caught Pyrei’s attention long enough for a stranger to creep up and greet her with a simple, “Hello!”
She turned around slowly with a cold stare, causing the ecstatic individual to slowly lose her sunny demeanor. It was a young child with brown hair imitating a cloud upon her head. She seemed a little uneased at such a dead reaction, but still managed to return the smile back to her face.
“Oh–oh… I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t frighten you. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that. I’ve just never seen you around here before or in our sister villages. There was another person that came around a few days ago. Oh–don't worry! Most of us are welcome to newcomers! Oh, I’m being rude! My name is Sally! What’s your name?”
Pyrei’s piercing gaze extended a bit longer. “Kimmy. My name is Kimmy,” she asserted.
“Welcome to Steemwell Village, Kimmy! I can show you around if you’d li-”
“That is not necessary,” Pyrei interrupted, “only one location will do. Does your village have a center for book perusing? ”
“Do you mean a library? Of course! We have the best library in the seas! At least that's what father tells me. Come, I can show you where it is!" Little Sally effused, beckoning Pyrei to follow as she swam through the villagers. The masses were not dense, but plentiful and all donning nearly identical brown or tan wardrobes which manipulated her foreign eyes to mix them together and bewilder Pyrei.
Sally on the other hand moved between them swiftly, as if she was following a path built for passage between each specific person. Inevitably, she was stuck; stopped in her tracks by the ever-shifting mass. "Hey!" Called the young, familiar voice. A small hand grabbed Pyrei's and began pulling on her. "Come on, silly Kimmy! We're almost there!”
Successfully, Sally guided Pyrei to the sole, marble construct of Steemwell. It seemed quite anachronic in comparison to the homes’ and stores’ archaic builds. The library was built of a beautifully metamorphosed white stone material. The quiet building consumed and released many people from its wooden double doors who both sought and had shared their daily fill of its contents. The interior had four marvelous pillars, each taking a corner of the grand building. Juxtaposing its silence were its several dozen inhabitants sitting at one of many tables or perusing the extremely vast collection of bookshelves reaching as high as the ceiling. “This it, Kimmy!” Sally giggled with a beaming smile. “This is Steemwell’s favorite area, or most prized possession as my father likes to say. We call this Heartsoul Library!”
“It’s… it’s beautiful!” Pyrei cried, catching herself slipping away from her dull facade. “Ahem… It’s a wonderful building, Sally. I mistook this place for a church based when I glanced at it upon entering Steemwell. Do all of your villages have libraries of such grand proportions?”
“Nope, our biggest church is in Jaka Village! Each of our villages on this island are special at something. Steemwell’s is the knowledge we have! And for example Hemlock Village is with animals and farming! That’s called… aggressiveculture, I think! We do help each other, though! We like to share! But Steemwell is still the smartest!”
“I see. Thank you for your guidance, Sally.”
Steps of feet bumped, coming closer. An elderly, hunchbacked man with a cane slowly made his way over to them. He waved with a gleeful smile, exposing some missing teeth. Like the others, he wore some brown garments, although he did have a golden chain around his neck and an eyepatch covering his left socket. “Mr. Gordon!” Sally announced with glee, earning herself piercing eyes from some in the library.
“Calm down, calm down,” Mr. Gordon coaxed, hugging the child with his free arm. “My dear Sally, how has mother Earth been treating you and your family?”
“We have been well! Father and my brother went out to fish. Mother I believe is in Hemlock Village taking care of the horses today. But I haven’t been doing nothing! I’m showing Kimmy around Steemwell!”
“Ki-Kimmy? I have no recollection of that name. Kimmy, Kimmy…” The old man pondered. He turned around, having to look up to see Pyrei’s face. He just stared for a moment visibly confused and then began squinting. Then, he reached into a pocket in his shirt near his love handles area and pulled out a monocle. He placed it over his working eye and stared for another extended period of time. “Who’re you?” he asked.
“That’s Kimmy!” Sally barged, “Silly Mr. Gordon!”
“Ah, another outsider? I see… Kind of, hehe!” he jested. “Hello, dear Kimmy! Welcome to the greatest establishment of knowledge and creativity in the world! Might I take you on a tour of the library?”
I do not have too much time to spare… Roaming around somewhere as vast as this would certainly take a fair bit, She thought. “Oh, no! I would much rather traverse through the vast collection of these wonderful novels by my lonesome!” she said, nearly cringing under it. Was that necessary?
“Oh I see, I see! What wonderful spirit you of youth have! Well please, be my guest and explore the many worlds that await in this fine place! I’ll leave you to it!”
“Actually, Mr. Gordon… I do have one genre that I wish to begin with in mind. Something that has always aroused my attention. Oh how I love the mysterious, unheard shadows of a fantasy world! So many questions brought throughout a shady world! Oh and we get answers, the world simply births more questions! Mystifying Societies! Dark clans! The evil living amongst the everyday goer!”
“I see, I see haha! We best not keep you waiting then! Sally, run along and aid your mother. She’d definitely appreciate the help and I know you’re more fond of the outside.”
“Okay, Mr. Gordon! I’ll try to be back soon!”
Gordon shook his head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that girl likes to be around me more than her family!” he chuckled, “But I can’t say the company upsets me. I don’t get much of it these days… even if she is chatty in the library. Oh yes, yes the books! Yes come with me, young lady! The mysteries and such, yes come with me. Try to keep up!” he joked, moving slowly on his cane.
As the back of Gordon’s hairless head turned to Pyrei, her feigned beam returned to coldness. Pyrei tracked the little girl with her skeptical eyes as she ran off into the mix of villagers, eventually losing her in the masses. I became unnerved again… I need to control that or else I’ll eventually blow my cover. Gordon didn’t seem to notice so he had likely failed to realize it. My cover is safe, it appears… thankfully. But truly, this place is quite odd. Are children running around unattended a normality? She did seem to be familiar with the other villages, so perhaps they share a family-like relationship. Still, for the parents to be so careless in letting their young child wander about when there’s a forest nearby and the sea not much further… Peculiar. But they discussed her parents being in separate villages, I think. He even sent her to find her mother in another village, which is accessed only by crossing the forest. This is no normal place… I’ll definitely keep my eye on them. But as for this library, Heartsoul as they call it— it’s beautiful. I would love to stay here for longer if our times weren’t so dire. Just to be able to get lost here would be a dream. Perhaps sometime I can get Zolton to come here… A very unlikely event.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Gordon squinted at the long wall of books.. “Four hundred twenty-two feet, four hundred and twenty-three feet…” Gordon mumbled. “Ah, here we are! There are hundreds of stories which you seek around here from the ground-skyward! I’m sure you’ll find one that pulls on your heart! You seem rather athletic so I’m sure you’ll be able to utilize the wheeled ladder there to reach the high points if needed–unlike me! We are near the far end of Heartsoul though. If you need to, you can take your selected novel to a more populated area just if you don’t wish to feel alone.”
“Ah yes, thank you, Mr. Gordon. I will handle each book with care,” Pyrei respected before simply using her strength to jump up to the peak of the wheeled ladder. Her eyes licked each title of the books they crossed, searching for anything resembling their symbol or any phrase conveying their ideology. About a quarter way through the first row, she picked up one novel titled The Ones With Everything In Naught and began to divulge its contents only to be disappointed with how it just shared accounts of people who were fooled into sharing a tyrannical ruler's artificial hate for one another. Upon her disappointment, she returned the book to its original place and proceeded to move down the row and flipped through the next book. Just over an hour went by when Pyrei had alas reached the final book. She sighed a great sigh of relief and as she went to take a step, she quickly caught herself realizing that she had only gone through the first of over a dozen rows of books - in only one of three wooden wall-shelves at one of four sections of the entire library’s bookshelves. Not to mention the diamond-like placement the shelves followed where the rows grew longer when closer to the center.
She nearly jumped off to save time, but realized the loud clap it would cause if she were to. So reluctantly, she climbed down. In her descent, Pyrei began to realize just how vast the library truly was when considering the lengthy amount of time it was taking to reach the floor. And when she finally did, a child of awe and frustration was born within her. The seemingly sky-reaching shelves eyed down on her, taunting Pyrei with a future of eternal page-flipping - which she likely would not mind if the weight of life allowed it. In a fit, she slammed her hand on a nearby table, earning irritated eyes around as the smack echoed.
“Even if I return here tomorrow after Yazzalo’s training, there’s no way I’ll be able to go through all of these in days… or weeks! Maybe not even months if not longer!” she fumed mentally, unaware that her words were slipping out from her thoughts into the real world. Exasperatedly sighed before taking herself to a chair on the table she previously struck. “Calm down, Pyrei…” she once again thought aloud and massaged her forehead as her mind attempted to recollect the parts it dropped in her anger. “The Undergrowth… the Undergrowth… I don’t even know what else to consider!”
“That name rings some bells.”
Her eyes moved up from facing the wooden table top at someone sitting at a chair across from her. The front and back cover of the book titled “A Fool’s Drive” hid his face, but could not do so for his lengthy hair resting on his shoulders and reaching just below the neck of his indigo-violet garb. In a grouchy and rhetorical manner she questioned him, “Can I help you?”
“No,” he replied calmly, “But your vexation with my presence is quite bizarre considering the commotion you brought to this small, once serene, deserted section of Heartsoul despite arriving long after I had, young lady.”
“And whatever could you mean by that—oh… Oh! I dearly apologize, sir. Please forgive me for my disrespect!”
The man set his book flat on the table, revealing a face that, although aged, did not match the years his hair’s cloud-like pigment gave off. His irises appeared a grayish, very pale purple. “You seem troubled with this ‘Undergrowth’ character. What business do you have with it?” He inquired.
“I feel that I could ask you the same.”
“I am not familiar with this ‘Penumbra Undergrowth’, as you say. At least not on the same grounds as one who is part of that society. But, I heard that name uttered by an unwavering fool some months ago.”
Pyrei’s eyes widened with excitement and her heart raced with impatient anticipation. “Who? Who told you about them? Where are they? What’s their name? Do you know-”
“Settle down, settle down. I can see you want some sort of business with them. And for what?”
“I’m tracking them. For months we’ve been hunting for that group, but we haven’t gotten any lead on the Undergrowth… They have some wicked power to mutate a person’s magic into some dark variant and they don’t stop there… Something with it also corrupts the mind and subdues the individual, turning them into a slave… I’ve been through it once and managed to overpower their chains, but others were not so lucky. I’m trying to put an end to them.”
“Hmm, ‘we’ve’ you say. So you do not carry on lonesome. A wise decision in these seas. Why not have the authoritative power of these seas deal with them? Their name slips my mind…”
“The Grand Navy? I’m not sure they’re even aware of the Undergrowth’s existence. Even if so, we have a goal to achieve–even if they are not exactly the same, they are similar enough to warrant our cooperation. The navy getting involved would not aid us in those goals.”
“I see. I may have some experiences that I can share that may pique your interest. We can start with your first question: who did I hear that name from… I believe it was an individual named Klazza. I encountered him a ways back, nearly twelve months ago on a fairly large island quite far. I fail to recall the name of the island, but I do remember passing through a small settlement called Dynex late in the night. This Klazza individual ambushed me from the woods nearby. He was fairly arrogant and believed he could frighten me into submission. Unfortunately he did not realize how pitiful his strength truly was and had been reduced into a babbling, incoherent, inhuman looking… thing. The last look he gave was one of terror as he scurried away into the woods like a rabid, quadruped beast. I regret what I caused him… I could’ve continued to walk off and simply swat away his attacks. I suppose I was not in a forgiving mood at the time.”
“You stood up to him? And not only that, sent him fleeing? That’s impressive! He had captured at least six of us who he deemed worthy, but he did also have dozens if not hundreds of other people under his control. But you alone shamed him into terror?! I was only able to push back after their ‘transmutation’ increased my strength and was lucky enough to resist their mind control to put Glorho down. I can only assume you have magic since that’s all Klazza seemed to have been going for was a specific type of magic. There were only six cells each marked with a magic: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and—Lightning… W–were you that Lightning user he failed to catch?”
“It appears so,” he said as he sipped from a mug beside the novel.
Pyrei’s eyes glistened with astonishment. “Considering what he had accomplished up to his defeat, I’m sure he could’ve easily captured another Lightning wizard. But maybe he was afraid of something. Something that scared him so bad that he would not dare to deal with it himself. How would a coward deal with their responsibilities? They would get others to fulfill their duties for them… maybe that’s another reason why he collected six of them first. He was too afraid to capture Lightning himself, so he would use the six others to do it for him!”
“Wise and heroic you are indeed, madam. A true heroine.”
“Me?!” She laughed, covering her mouth as she earned more angry glares with her disturbances. “Do you know how many people you saved from Glorho just by warding him off?!”
The old man’s hand balled into a fist, but his face did not contort. “Please, spare me of this undeserved praise. A man who spills much blood in this world is no benevolent man. I saved no one. You on the other hand - if your words are honest - freed those people from darkness, no? That would make you a hero. Me on the other hand blasted a weak man who had only improper guidance to follow. I devolved his detestable days into woeful eons. And in the end, he was freed by a dirty death accompanied by only his own madness.”
“But your life was threatened; you just acted in self-defense. And not only that, who knows how many people your actions saved from Klazza?”
“Believe me – my life was in no danger. I lashed out. I sentenced a man to eternal insanity - a fate worse than death. Because of me, he had to endure both. All because I was annoyed with him intruding my way. The hypothetical event in which those with a similar magic to mine who merely had the potential to be spared is irrelevant."
Pyrei looked disappointed for a moment, but she felt the temperatures rising. Remembering her tight schedule, Pyrei ceased further applause and went down to business. "I apologize. Before we conclude, I must ask: where would you find this group? Do you know any of their whereabouts?"
Musing in his regret, he drank from the mug again. “Perhaps. Amongst Klazza’s insane babbling, he uttered a few names: Rijuh, Dargus and The Swamp. I am not familiar with Rijuh or this ‘swamp’ but an old kingdom I… settled in had stories of Dargus before we— limited foreign affairs. But that kingdom, Dargus—it is a tremendous distance away from these seas if the books tell truthfully. It will likely take weeks to arrive there if not months. Not to mention the unnatural storms of darkness that will impede any endeavors there.”
“Storms of darkness?”
“You are unfamiliar with the Dark Sea? If you dearth knowledge of its existence prior, then it is best you postpone travel into and beyond there until you have both emboldened your mind and fortified your body as if readying to combat gods. Unless you have some hidden strength, even when considering your bloodline that I fail to sense, the Dark Sea will assure it grinds you harshly between its million–times blooded jaws, spitting you out so that it may arouse over the sight of its slaughter and before dragging you back into its gullet for the swallow.”
Her skin began to mimic the snow white color of an arctic fox’s fur. Shaking through her ghost-touched nerves with the aid of curiosity Pyrei questioned the old man once more, “H–have you been in it? You speak like you’re very familiar with it. Too familiar. And to have stories of this place beyond these seas… and beyond that sea… I’ve never heard of anything like it in all the years that I’ve been here.”
He chuckled. “Your wit is great, young lady. You remind me of my sister,” he said, resulting in his short-lived grin melting into a frown. He continued, “Yes, I have traversed the Dark Sea. I in fact hail from beyond it.”
“I knew you weren’t from around here with how cleanly you dress. And most striking is how elegant your tongue is–it’s a dead give away that you haven’t been raised in this scallywag sea. Perhaps it’s worth going through the Dark Sea just to get away from the bipedal dogs around here. It sounds like there really are competent people in this world!” she jested. “Are you settled on this island?”
“No,” he replied, “I’ve decided to endure a nomadic life.”
In the distance, she eyed a clock. “Ten minutes to eight… Seems Yazzalo is going to be unhappy with our tardiness,” she muttered as she quickly rose to her feet. “I cannot express my gratitude for all the help you and time you have spared, Mister—mister… We never introduced ourselves,” she said shamefully. “I’ve given my encounters a fake name, but seeing we seem to be similar in that we hide… My name is Pyrei.”
He gazed coldly, involuntarily tapping the table with his right index finger thrice. “It was splendid to have this chat, Pyrei. Though you have shared your name twice, I cannot do the same for mine even once. If it were lighter circumstances, I would. Sadly, I have the misfortune of your home sea's people looking to pester me. I'm sure you’ve seen a portrayal of me plastered around and an uncanny pseudonym referencing ‘preternatural’ events that your people generally believe. But I will not leave you with a funny nickname crafted by them to identify me with, for you are one of the delights I’ve found in my expedition. Shall we ever cross paths again, you may refer to me as Mister K. At least for now.”
Pyrei rubbed her wrist as she thought, uneased by this ‘plastered portrayal’. “Well–it was nice to meet you, Mister K. I hope we do meet again at some point, but I have to find my partner. He has the tendency to find conflict and play in it,” she explained, rising from the chair.
“He is not near? It is best that you hurry to him,” he seethed as his fists reddened as they clenched one another. “Demons drift in the wind, picking out their victims – you are especially susceptible due to your particular endeavor. Assure that you two are there for one another.”
“I—I will,” she hesitated. “I will. Thank you, Mr. K. Goodbye.”
“Farewell,” Mister K replied, returning his eyes to “A Fool’s Drive.”
Contrary to earlier on, the streets were much more calm and serene. The remaining villagers seemed to be returning to their homes or closing up shop as the night grew near. “Goodbye, Kimmy!” shouted a youthful voice.
Pyrei looked to where the noise came from, staring dumbfounded for a moment at the young girl amongst her parents and five brothers. She soon remembered her facade and she smiled as she waved at the girl, earning one back. The exit of Steemwell came, and along it a great feeling of accomplishment. She strolled through the forest once more, taking her time.
We won’t make it to Yazzalo on time anyways. I might as well enjoy this small award, she thought, taking in the gifts the forest had to offer. Fireflies fluttered around, counteracting the blackness of impending night. They flew between the intertwining tree branches, causing a seemingly-holy glow between the wood and leaves. But even as Pyrei moved slowly, just like before she arrived at her destination before she was ready as the jar of crunching brought her spirit back down to her body. Resting against a tree was a shadow-blanketed figure, staring her down upon her arrival.