Nyssa's Point of View

Chapter 19

We'd managed to get three haunted library missions taken down at the guild, but there were still a few more and we were running out of time before the festival. Especially since we had to officially sign the library up for the event and decorate for it too. Before we did any of that though, I had to make sure we actually could host the festival. There were a few library essentials I hadn't seen anywhere yet.

"Hey, Lisa?" I asked as I joined her at the table. "Does this library have a book well? And statues of the gods and all that?"

She flipped a page in the book she was reading, eyes widening. After reading a bit more, she set the book down with a satisfied smile.

"Sorry," she said. "I was at a really good part. But yes, of course we have statues and a book well. What kind of library do you take us for?"

One that hadn't gotten the story gods' blessing in years and was about to disappear, but I wasn't about to say that. Maybe the statues were just hidden away somewhere for safekeeping, not destroyed or given to a more popular library.

The well should have been noticeable though since it couldn't exactly get up and walk away. A book well was our connection to the story gods, the one place where we could talk to them and actually get a response. Every year, hundreds of writers tossed their books in like pennies in a wishing well, hoping the gods would be pleased with their stories. It was vital for the festival.

"Okay....but where are they then?" I asked.

Lisa took a slow sip of her tea before answering. "We moved the statues into storage when the roof started caving in. The well is where it always was, in the lobby."

"In the lobby?" I walked back over there, studying the wide open space yet again, but all I saw was a large potted plant, some cozy chairs, and a few bookshelves. "There's no well here."

"Look closer," Lisa called out from her seat at the table.

I frowned, not really sure what to look closer at since there wasn't much here. The potted plant actually looked a little wilted though so I went to get it some water.

And that's when it hit me.

The plant's pot was made of wood that came up from the floor, as if the library itself had grown it. Which meant it wasn't a pot...

"No way," I whispered, poking around in the dirt a bit. Sure enough, there was a wooden cover holding all the dirt up. "You're using the book well as a planter??"

Either she was too far away to hear me or she was too engrossed in her book, but either way, that was just plain...wrong. The book well was our connection to the gods, not some corner store flower pot. It was supposed to be filled with the magical water of hopes and dreams, not dirt and rocks!

My hands itched to rip that plant out and toss it outside where it belonged, but I took a deep breath and thought about it for a minute. The golem was the only one who cared about plants enough to do this and I'd already upset it once when I'd torn its window patches down without asking.

Maybe if I asked the golem to transplant this, it would be okay.

I wandered outside to where the golem was pulling weeds from its body and smashing them underfoot.

"Weeds," it muttered, "always weeds."

I'd never thought about if golems grew weeds like normal dirt did, but now I'd never unsee it. The golem carefully yanked weeds from around the poppies on its shoulders, smiling once the last one was gone and the flowers basked under the sunlight, tilting their petals up.

"Hello," I said, waving to the golem. "How's your garden going?"

"Beautiful," it rumbled, motioning at the very full flower beds.

Honestly, they really were beautiful. Each flower bed held a different assortment of plants, like a living mosaic of greenery. Some of the flowers glowed like they were filled with magic, making them even more eye-catching. The floral scent filling the air was rather comforting too, making me want to sit and gaze at them all day.

We should add some chairs outside for people to read and enjoy the flowers at the same time. I bet the golem would like that.

"Do you know anything about the plants in the book well?" I asked.

The golem leaned down, like he was going to whisper something to me. "Library was sad. Nobody visited the well."

Its voice was loud in my ear, but I just smiled and nodded. "So you planted something inside it to make it more appealing?"

"Yes." Its eyes glowed bright as it smiled. "Plan worked."

I mean, I guess that was technically true since people stopped to water it and check on it sometimes, but it couldn't stay there. Not when we had a festival to run.

"That was thoughtful of you," I said, patting its large rocky hand. "I bet the library was happy. Weren't you, Misty?"

"Misty?" The golem asked, then lit up when the library's windows opened and closed like it was saying yes. "Ohhhhhh, Misty!"

I grinned, loving how excited the golem got about everything. "Yeah, I thought it could use a name now that we know it's sentient. Misty Mountain Library felt a bit too formal."

The golem nodded, lumbering over to the library to pat its walls. This really was the most magical place I'd ever been. I wouldn't trade it for anything, which meant I had to keep moving forward.

"You know, that plant would look amazing out here with the rest of your garden," I said. "Do you mind if we move it? So we can get the book well ready for the festival?"

The golem shook its head. "Don't mind."

Well that was far easier than I'd expected. I was glad I'd taken the time to ask instead of just doing what I thought was best like last time.

"Can you dig a hole for it out here?" I asked, heading back inside after the golem nodded.

The plant's roots weren't grounded in anything, so it was pretty easy to pick up and carry outside. A trail of dirt followed me that I'd have to clean up later though. Once it was safely replanted outside, I removed the well cover, carefully setting it aside so I didn't get more dirt everywhere.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

My stomach sank as I stared down the dark, very empty, well.

The water was completely gone!

But that didn't make sense. Magical libraries grew on top of underground water caverns so the tree and well would always be taken care of. I'd never seen a book well without water brimming at its surface. Was that part of the damage from the magic storm? Or a downside of not getting the story gods' blessing for years?

Either way, we couldn't host the Tales and Tomes Festival with a bone dry book well.

I sank to the floor, leaning my back against the well.

"I'm sorry, Misty. I should have checked that right away."

The library didn't respond, at least not in any way I noticed. Maybe it really was sad about the well like the golem had said, which made me sad too. I just wanted to revive this place, but every time I turned around, something else needed fixing.

I sighed as my thoughts spun. How was I supposed to fix the well?

If only we hadn't scared the contractors away. They were one group we hadn't been able to get a hold of yet, but I had a feeling they wouldn't be so easy to win over. Not after they'd literally fled the mountain in terror.

So it was up to me. To fix a well.

I groaned, rubbing my hand over my face. I was a librarian, not a...well fixer?

"Need some help?" Lisa asked as she walked over to join me, frowning at the piles of dirt everywhere. "You've got dirt on your face, you know."

My hands were covered in dirt, darkening my skin like ink. I used the edge of my shirt to wipe the smudges off my face, hoping I got them, then looked at Lisa expectantly.

"Better." She nodded, then rested her hand against the well. "This has been a sore spot for years. I think we need to dig the well deeper."

"Can't the library do that?"

She paused, staring at the great book tree. "Yes, but I'm not sure if it wants to. Digging the well deeper means we're capable of hosting the festival and I'm not sure it's ready for that yet."

Roan walked in with a towel around his neck like he'd just been working out. "Being abandoned isn't easy to forget about. Maybe the library is still worried it'll happen again."

Of course it was, how could it not be? Us being here for a few weeks didn't make the past few years disappear. I glanced at Roan, who's eyes were downcast. Was his pain still just as prevalent?

"You know," I said softly, "the library and you have a few things in common. Maybe you could talk to it?"

His eyes widened. "You want me to talk to the library?"

"Yeah, but call it Misty. It likes that." I smiled as the books quivered in excitement nearby. "See? Let us handle the well, you handle the library."

Lisa nodded. "Agreed."

Roan walked over to me, holding out his hand to help me up. "Are you sure about this? What if I screw it up?"

"Just be honest," I said, running my thumb over the back of his hand. "You'll do fine."

We stood like that for a few moments, just holding hands and staring at each other, before he nodded.

"Just don't blame me if the well gets even dryer," he said with a little half smile.

"Deal." I squeezed his hand one more time before letting it go. "Now, how do we dig a deeper well?"

I leaned over the edge, not sure how far down it actually was.

"We don't." Lisa gave me one of those looks like I was missing something obvious. "We let Roan talk to the library like you said. Once it's ready, it'll dig the well deeper itself. And if it's never ready, then we'll respect that decision and stop all this festival talk."

I wanted to argue with her, to tell her that there was no way I'd give up on the festival, but watching Roan awkwardly lean up against a bookshelf and try communicating with Misty tugged at my heart. Everyone here was trying so hard to understand each other and make this place better.

What right did I have to force a festival on the library if it didn't want one?

"Okay," I said with a nod. "But I believe Roan can turn this around."

Lisa smiled. "So do I."

So instead of jumping into the well with a shovel, we watched Roan chat with the library. He picked up a book, flipping through the pages as he talked in a voice too soft to make the words out, but it was comforting and warm. He ran his hand along the shelves, as if he was petting Cerbie.

What was he telling Misty?

I wanted to go over and listen too, but this felt like a moment just for the two of them. The library deserved to have more people on its side than just me and this was the perfect chance for them to get to know each other better. I could always talk to Roan about it later.

"You look jealous," Lisa said, amusement coloring her voice. "That's how I felt when you first showed up."

My gaze jerked to her. "Really? Why?"

"The library is my best friend, my only friend if I'm being honest," she said, tracing her finger along the edge of the well. "I was worried that it would think real people were more important than us story spirits and it would forget about me eventually. Like one day...I just wouldn't come out of my book anymore and that would be that."

"That would never happen," I said vehemently, grabbing her hand. "You're a Misty Mountain Librarian, just like me. You're too important to disappear and Misty knows that. Besides, the library isn't your only friend. I'm your friend too."

Silence stretched between us as she studied me. Had I said something wrong? Maybe we weren't actually becoming friends like I thought. I dropped her hand and smiled at her even as my face warmed.

"You matter to people, that's all I meant." I cleared my throat, turning around to watch Roan laughing as books flew around him excitedly. "Looks like things are going well over there."

Suddenly, Lisa's arms were around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. "I'd gladly be your friend. Thank you."

The sound of rushing water drowned out anything I might have said in return, pulling all of our attention to the well. Shimmering water flooded it, surging toward the surface beautifully. Magic thrummed under my fingers as I leaned over to see my reflection in the water.

I had a big stupid grin on my face. We were really going to save the library.

"Hey Roan," I shouted, "come over here!"

Lisa trailed her fingertips through the water, smiling. "I knew the library didn't want to be reborn anywhere else. It just needed a little kindness and warmth. Just like all of us."

Roan wrapped his arms around me, hugging me from behind. "I didn't think that would work. All I did was tell the library about my past and how coming here felt good."

I leaned back against his chest, running my hand over the arm he'd wrapped around my waist. "It does feel good having you here. I'm sure the library feels the same way."

"It feels the same way you do, huh? Does that mean the library likes me?" he teased as his lips brushed against my ear. "Because you obviously like me, right?"

"In your dreams," I said, but I didn't move out of his arms, not even when Lisa gave me a knowing look. "Okay fine, I like you. But you already knew that."

"Still nice to hear." Roan kissed my temple. "Now what's our next step?"

"Clean the statues, find the wishing book, and officially sign up for the final ceremony of the festival." I frowned, glancing at Lisa. "That last one has to be done in person at the festival grounds. Will it be okay if we leave?"

She rolled her eyes. "We survived without you two lovebirds for years, we can handle another day."

She might have said that, but her hands gripped her skirts a little too tight.

"You could come with us?" I offered. "Show the townsfolk how wonderful the story spirits are?"

Lisa froze. "I don't think that's a good idea...sorry."

"Okay, no worri--"

A dragon swooped by, completely interrupting us as it dropped a tiny knight in the well with a loud plop followed by frantic splashing.

"You damned dragons!" the knight shouted, but it came out a little gurgled as his armor kept dragging him down. "I'm a knight! Not a bath toy!"

I clenched my lips together, trying to keep my laughter inside as I scooped him out. Water dripped out of his armor like a sieve and he looked like a drowned rat.

Lisa took that moment to turn around and go study some very important books, smiling just a bit while Roan chuckled.

"Let me help you with that," Roan said, laughter still in his voice.

The knight took off his armor, letting it dry out along the edge of the well as he searched the skies for more dragons.

"They always get you when you least expect them," he said with grave seriousness. "Never take your eyes off the skies, that's what my Commander always told me."

The image of him dripping wet, but still trying to seem so professional was too much for me. A small laugh bubbled up and then more spilled out. The knight was a little red in the face, but then he joined in and laughed too.

"Want to help me get some payback, my loyal friends?" he asked us.

"Depends what your idea of payback is." I crossed my arms, studying him. "If it has anything to do with fire around the well we just repaired, that's a hard pass."

Roan gave me a shocked look. "You would leave a knight's honor besmirched like that?"

Since when did he play along with the knights' antics? Last I saw, he was locking them in the lending libraries like they were in jail. Something had changed for him. I wasn't sure what, but I liked it.

"Of course I wouldn't," I said, holding my palm out to the knight. "Let's go get your justice."

The knight cheered and climbed onto my hand so Roan and I could chase down dragons with him. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day.