May 2024
***
Mana Kanno stared deep into the abyss of existence – and it stared back.
As far as she could tell, she was in space. And also, she wasn’t.
All around her were the stars, and way down below was a vast ocean, so far away that she couldn’t see the waves moving on it. It expanded in every vast direction, before it gave way to a sea of stars. Three continents were in that vast ocean, one pitch black, another misty and foggy, and yet another was covered in mountain ranges.
A giant root extended from a large tree trunk in the ocean to the misty land mass. Incidentally, Mana sat on a branch of the tree it belonged to, which was as wide as a Tokyo expressway.
The tree was mind-bogglingly tall, so tall and large in fact that it wore whole planets between its branches like Christmas ornaments. Weirder still, two more roots extended from the tree’s base and climbed up its own trunk, one extending all the way to one of the planets while the third went up into the tree’s crown – the leaves, however, obscured where it would have ended up. She could tell that there was a golden shine coming from the crown, but that was it. There was also what looked like a rainbow breaking through the foliage, going towards the ‘Christmas ornament’ closest to the tree trunk below its crown.
Mana did not know where the sunlight of this place came from, as she could not see a sun. But she heard an eagle cry far above, and a squirrel running up the trunk. The fact that she could see it must have meant that it was massive in size, probably larger than the entirety of Japan.
How did Mana come to be in this place? That was an easy question to answer: she found another index, this time filled with a whole variety of world coordinates, and this was the first one she tried out. She originally landed far away from here, so she instructed Portal to bring her to a random, faraway place immediately after entering the world, ensuring that Marisa couldn’t follow.
Her only company right now were Portal, the gemstone of Aranon, and the corpse of a man hanging from a branch slightly above her.
Mana looked up at the poor man. He hung upside-down, with a rope around his ankles. One of his eyes was bleeding and looked like there was no eyeball behind the lids. He was also impaled on a spear going through his side, it looked like. Two ravens sat perched on the branch he hung from, cawing in sequence, like they were holding a conversation. Possibly discussing which piece of the man they were going to eat first.
Mana went back to contemplate the gemstone in her hand, turning it between her fingers. It’s been a month and thinking about it still overwhelmed her young mind. A whole civilization’s knowledge, culture and hope, distilled into a symbolic drop of water, equal to what their wisdom amounted to in the ocean of the universe. She wanted to help carry that hope forward, but she didn’t know where she would even start. First of all, she’d need to find a way to even access the data. And then she would need to find someone who could work with it. Which meant, understanding the foreign language in the first place.
Almost sounds like I have to do all the work myself, then.
Mana let out a long sigh before she complained loudly into the void.
“I really wish I was smarter!”
“So you came here desiring wisdom, as well?” the voice came from above.
Mana lifted her head and saw the dead man looking at her, with his good eye open.
She let out a surprised shout and jumped away from him, landing on her back.
***
“That surprised me!” Mana shouted as she stared at the man who seemed amused by her.
“How are you alive? You have a hole in your…”
“How? By sheer willpower. But just barely.” The voice of the man was weak and strained – he didn’t move anything of his body beyond his mouth and his eye.
“I sacrificed my eye for wisdom and future sight. And now I sacrifice myself unto myself for an understanding of runes and magic.”
Mana didn’t really understand how any of this could lead to an understanding of magic.
“I… don’t quite follow,” she admitted to the strange man.
“Interesting. A young seidrkona without understanding,” he pondered as he looked her over.
“I’m not from this world!” Mana immediately admitted. “I don’t even know what seidrkona means.”
This seemed to catch the attention of the one-eyed man on the tree.
“From another world, you say? So, none of the nine you can see on this tree here?”
Mana shook her head.
“Magnificent! So, the völva were right about the cosmos drawing closer together and overlapping.”
He looked concerned, lost in thought even.
“This will however mean that Ragnarök will happen sooner or later. So, I must acquire the secrets of rune magic!”
He closed his eye as if he was focusing even harder on whatever he was contemplating before.
“Young seidrkona, would you sit with me and tell me of your world? I have provisions nearby, with my trusty steed. You can take them, as long as you don’t give me any. I must die from thirst and hunger and the leaking of my lifeblood if I am to understand the world’s magic.”
He pointed along the branch Mana stood on – a little bit into the distance. Mana could faintly make out a horse.
“You’re sure? My world isn’t very special,” Mana asked skeptically.
“Many people think their homes aren’t very noteworthy,” the man replied, and Mana had to concede the argument, walking along the branch towards the horse.
***
“Portal, remind me… how many legs do horses have?”
“What an odd question, Mana. They have four, like most mammals. Unless you’re talking about that infernal gacha you’re playing, then they have two and are all female, despite clearly being named after male horses.”
Mana nodded and stared at the grey-maned horse in front of her with a deadpan expression, lifting a finger and quietly counting its legs.
One, two, three, four… eight. It had eight legs.
“Check that again, Portal. How many legs do horses have…?”
“Four. Mana, I believe you are looking at a special horse, so don’t sweat it.”
Mana nodded quietly and approached after successfully pushing her common sense aside. The horse looked at her and dragged its hooves while baring its teeth – each and every one of them had runes carved into their surface. Mana could feel the aggression radiating off the horse as tension in the air, until one of the ravens flew from the hanging man’s branch, landed on its back and let out a single caw. All of a sudden, the horse calmed down and lowered its head. Mana even got to stroke its mane before she looked at the items the man left next to his horse.
There was a backpack. Next to it was a golden helmet and a golden ring, and a scabbard with a sword still sheathed in it. Mana pulled it out to catch a glimpse of the blade and found more runes etched into the surface.
“Seems like everything in this world has runes on it, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. Runes possess powerful inherent magic. If we ever find a section of the library that uses runes like these, we will be far more likely to find magic tomes.”
Mana sheathed the sword again and put it back, opening the backpack and taking out some of the provisions. There was bread, some meat and a waterskin. She took all three back to the man.
“I hope Sleipnir wasn’t too aggressive. I sent Huginn to tell him that you’re a friend.”
Mana blinked and looked back to the horse. The name was distantly familiar, but she couldn’t place it at all.
“Oh, he actually let me pet him after he calmed down.”
“He did?!” the hanging man was surprised.
“Now I’m even more curious about you. The only ones allowed to touch him are me, my sons and the valiant dead.”
Mana tilted her head and sat down, telling him about her world first.
***
“Ho! So, your kind, lacking all magic, learned to fly with machines? Magnificent!”
Mana nodded.
“Well, magic became a thing a short while before I was born. But most of us still can’t use it.”
Mana got hungry while talking to him, so she had a little bit of bread and meat, even though it bothered her that she wasn’t allowed to give him any despite the obvious pain he was in. She placed the waterskin against her lips and took a deep gulp – then her eyes widened.
The contents weren’t water, but something else entirely. A sweet honey taste spread on her tongue, accompanied by a burning sensation that went down her throat and into her stomach, warming her from the inside.
She pulled the skin away from her mouth and started coughing.
“Your first taste of mead, young seidrkona?” the man asked with amusement.
“That’s alcohol! I’m underage!” Mana complained.
“One can never be too young for their first taste of sweet nectar. With time you’ll appreciate it!”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“I’m not too sure about that…” Mana mumbled as she wiped her mouth. The sweet taste, however, was very good. Maybe she’d have another taste once she was old enough to drink.
“So, now that you told me about where you’re from I’m all too eager to hear about your story, young seidrkona!”
Mana looked at the hanging man and pondered before she started.
“Well, until fairly recently I was very ordinary. But then, one day…”
***
By the end of her retelling Mana felt very giddy. Her cheeks were rosy, and she was in a very good mood, though she had slight trouble keeping her balance. She was the great witch of the library! She was a force to be reckoned with!
“You wanna… see my magic, mister hanged man?”
The man on the tree pondered.
“An endless library housing all the magic in existence – separated by vast amounts of space, hidden away in books. Very fascinating. And that story about you falling into an endless abyss…”
The man suddenly became much more energized.
“Young seidrkona! I need you to cut my rope! I’ve just thought of the final piece for my understanding!”
Mana didn’t understand what he was talking about – but she got that he wanted her to use her magic. An arrow spun on the tip of her finger, and she aimed for the rope around the branch above her.
Thunk.
Mana’s face turned a shade redder as the arrow shot into the branch – a good twenty centimeters to the side of her target. The rope was still very much intact, but the two ravens rose into the air, loudly cawing, probably complaining about her poor marksmanship. She held her right hand with her left to stabilize as she shot another arrow. And another. Before long, a dozen arrows were all stuck in the wood around the rope.
“Do not be discouraged! I’ve been here for nine days and nine nights, I can wait a little longer!” the man reassured her, but it only served to anger her – mostly directed towards herself.
“Hyah!” she shouted and finally hit the rope.
The man nodded at her and closed his eye. Then, with a mighty scream he plunged into the depths below as the rope snapped. Mana looked over the edge and Barrier erected a pane of energy in front of her to catch her, in case her current groggy state of mind would have her trip and fall down, too.
He fell and fell – and was soon surrounded by a blue glow, which kept him in view even as his form was too small to see. Then, it was like he was engulfed in flames. His scream still reached up to from where Mana was watching.
Then, with a mighty neigh that sounded like a giant beast’s roar, the eight-legged horse called Sleipnir stirred. It leapt into the air and rode on it like it was solid ground. Every time its hooves propelled it forward the sound of thunder rang out, and Mana could only watch in amazement as it ran after its master, descending through the air in a vertical gallop.
Mana fell back on her butt and let the things that just happened process in her spinning head. And then, a mere minute later, the horse appeared, with the one-eyed man riding on top. Somehow, it had taken all of his equipment with it. The golden helmet now sat on the man’s head and the ring turned out to be one for his arm, rather than a finger. Holding the reins of his horse in one hand, and the spear he was impaled on in the other, he looked at Mana with a bemused smile. His one good eye now glowed with a fiery energy.
“Our time together was entertaining, young seidrkona, so let me grant you a boon. You seek the wisdom to unlock the knowledge contained in that trinket of yours, do you not?”
Mana looked at the drop of water containing all that was left of the Aranon.
“Eh? Yeah, sure.” She mumbled, rising to her feet.
The imposing man dismounted, with the two ravens flying from the branch towards him to sit perched atop his shoulders.
First he grabbed the rest of the provisions from Mana, hungrily devouring the bread and meat and taking long gulps from the wineskin – pushing it back into her hands afterwards.
“You can unlock this drop’s secrets and I have seen when and how you do it. I will not grant you a shortcut, young seidrkona, for many threads of fate are attached to your little journey. But I can guide you towards the first step.”
He then didn’t look at Mana, but at her sleeve, where Portal was currently resting inside a sling.
“You there, book that thinks and speaks.”
“Ah, me? Yes?”
“I will grant you a coordinate. Guide your seidrkona there and her wish will become reality in due time.”
The man’s mouth moved, and he seemed to speak – but it sounded like white noise – his speech carried more information than something as crude as language could ever hope to carry in the same amount of time. Mana held her hands on her ears before it would make them bleed.
As he was finished, Portal simply responded:
“Understood.”
The man with the golden helmet turned his attention back to Mana.
“Now I bid you farewell, young seidrkona. May our paths cross again! May I know your name?”
Mana grinned and put her hands on her hips, even as her footing was unsteady.
“I’m Mana Kanno! The Witch Queen of the Infinite Library!”
The man nodded – and despite the person he spoke to being an inebriated child he responded respectfully in kind.
“I am Baleyg, the one with flaming eyes, Vafud, the Wanderer, Svidur, the Wise One, and from this day forth, Rúnatýr, the God of Runes. I am Odin.”
Mana’s mind glazed over during half of these names – but the last one! Oh, she recognized the last one. And the place she recognized it from…
She pointed at the sword sheathed on his hip.
“So, is that Zantetsuken?”
“What?”
“What?”
image [https://i.imgur.com/xVo0VeL.png]
Mana’s head was still swimming. The portal opened to a section of the library, and she walked through the opening – promptly catching her foot on the shimmering edge, making her trip and fall face-first on the carpeted floor.
“Uuu…” Mana groaned, getting up and holding her spinning head. She looked at the plaque and it took a while before she stopped seeing double for long enough to read the sign.
← From 7b8cc516fe672be7da92ae07d39fe7e2: Yggdrasil
Elder Futhark, Runes of the Aesir, 345 pages
From 7b8cc516fe672be7da92ae07d39fe7e2: Yggdrasil
Elder Futhark, Runes of the Aesir, 346 pages →
Portal spoke up first.
“Impressive! He said he only just discovered the magic runes of his kind, but this library held them all along. Do you know what this means, Mana?”
The inebriated girl leaned against the wall and decided she needed to drink some water. Too bad that the gulp she just took from the skin Odin left her with was more mead. She coughed and wiped her mouth before answering.
“Urgh… dunno. What?”
“It means that this library’s languages and writing systems are those of the past and the future! It truly is infinite in every sense of the word! Oh, there might even be a spell tome that won’t just bring us to another place, but another time altogether! Maybe even one that lets us witness the end of the universe! Or its beginning!”
Mana grumbled and looked at the plaque again.
“So, where’s that coordinate?”
“Room to your right. Shelf on the right. Rare enough, it’s the first book on the lower shelf when you enter.”
Mana walked in a snake line towards the shelf and pulled out the book.
“Ah-ha! Hey, it’s not talking…”
She started to flip through the pages and nodded in thought. There were coordinates inside. World coordinates. She found herself yet another index.
The first entry was labeled ‘The Broker’, not even with a planet or city’s name. Mana stared at it incredulously.
“Who’s that supposed to be, eh?!”
“According to what Odin said, this should be our first stop.”
“You could actually h-… ear hear what the heck he s-said?”
“I did. Uhm. Maybe we should stop here for today, Mana?”
“NnnnNNnO!” Mana complained.
“I wanna see dish… broker pershon.”
Moon of the Pact with Giants, 1067 AR
***
Mana stumbled out of the portal into a large field of wheat, falling face-first into the mud. She remained like that for roughly ten seconds before she yanked her face up and took a deep breath.
She got on her feet and had a look around – the golden heads of the wheat field extended as far as she could see to one side, and to the other she could see a large river with a majestic city around a green mountain. On top there was a castle, with a path leading towards the city through the forest while grey, steep cliffs gave the castle’s other side natural defenses.
Mana would have loved nothing more than to explore that place – but she guessed that her actual target was located in a small farmer’s hut right in front of her. And right now, she felt her stomach churning, so she leaned over and gave the wheat field some fertilizer.
“Hurk!”
***
After cleaning her mouth with river water, she walked towards the hut in a snake line, lifting her fist and noisily banging on the door.
“Lemme in! I’m Mana Kanno, the witsh keen of the infi… inifi… endless libbary!”
She heard quiet talking on the inside, then footsteps. A peephole slit was opened on the door and two eyes focused her.
“Who did you say you were?” a deep voice demanded to ask.
“Mana Kanno! Wi- uh what was it again…” Mana mumbled, then Portal spoke, announcing her in a booming voice.
“This is Mana Kanno! Witch Queen of the Infinite Library! Traveler of worlds and currently here to see the ‘Broker’ to discuss a deal! Let us in!”
The eyes retracted from the slit and two men quietly discussed something.
“Get lost, kid!” was their answer as the eyes returned and the slit was slammed shut.
If she were of clear mind, Mana would have pondered a proper solution that didn’t resort to violence. But in her current state she was enraged. How dare they treat her like that! The Witch Queen! The traveler of worlds!
She extended her hand towards the door and uttered a single word.
“Blasht!”
The door was blown into the hut and knocked out a man who stood behind it.
Mana entered with wobbly feet and looked to the sides. Two more men were inside – or were it four? Either way, they were hastily drawing their swords.
“A fantashy world!” Mana said with a laugh. “Like Draggon Quesht!”
She extended both her arms and pointed her hands at the two men who were leaning against the walls, heads slumped forwards a moment later. The Witch Queen was victorious once again!
“So where’sh the Broker?” Mana looked around. There was a table with two chairs on opposite sides, probably to discuss business. A single service bell was placed on it, so Mana walked over, rang it – and then she passed out, simply falling on her back and snoring away.
***
“What an amusing child.”
Portal was worried as he heard another voice – and as he peeked out from under Mana’s sleeve, he could see leather boots approaching. The woman they belonged to wore a hooded cloak, which was drawn deep over her face and wrapped around her entire body, making her face unrecognizable. A mysterious smile was on her lips as she kneeled down next to the sleeping Mana and stroked her forehead with a hand.
“You are the Broker?” Portal asked cautiously.
“That I am… be assured that I hold no ill will towards this girl, even if she knocked out my men. They will walk it off. They’re made of sturdy stuff after all.” She smiled at him, but without being able to see her eyes this was almost as unsettling as it was reassuring.
The woman now reached into Mana’s sleeve and retrieved the crystal drop, examining it.
“This is what she came here for, yes?”
“Correct. She wishes to decipher it.” Portal answered truthfully and felt some relief as he saw the woman put the crystal back into its proper place.
“If she wishes to learn the skills to extract this information, I have a task for her, first.” The woman got up and made her way around the desk. Pulling out ink, paper, an envelope, and a sealing wax kit she began to write. She wrote for quite some time and as she was done, she folded the paper, put it into an envelope and sealed it – she put a wax pellet into a steel spoon, heated it atop a candle and poured the contents on the envelope before pushing the ring she wore on her index finger into it. She gently placed the envelope on Mana’s chest. Then she went into the backroom and brought out a small ornate chest which she added, putting it on top of Mana.
“You can just bring that poor girl back to her bed, right?”
“I can.”
“Good. Let her rest for a while. She is quite out of it. The written instructions in there are all that she needs. Once she has fulfilled my request, I will provide her with a tool to retrieve the knowledge from her bauble.”
The woman gave Portal a little wave as if to dismiss him and he obliged. He opened a portal that had Mana fall comfortably on her bed from a small height before it sizzled out.
Mana would wake up with a terrible headache the next day, with barely any recollection of what she did after meeting Odin.
image [https://i.imgur.com/xVo0VeL.png]
Marisa finally lifted her head out of the field as Mana vanished. She knew what she had to do the second that new index appeared in her hand and entered a portal to the first coordinate to intercept her mistress, who was running away from her. The show of the drunken Mana, however, was so pathetic that it took all the desire to mess with her out of the redhead. She entered the little hovel and looked around, noting the unconscious men on the ground. A woman sat at a table, smirking an eyeless smirk at her from under her hood.
“She’s already gone, Doppelgänger. You may have to try another time.”
“Shut up!” Marisa lifted her hand to shoot an arrow at the woman, but the spell fizzled out before it could launch. Marisa blinked and looked at her hand incredulously.
“That won’t work against me, dear. I have carved runes of protection on talismans of blessed wood from the young witches’ world. You’d have to engage me with physical weapons, but you don’t look like you’d be capable of doing that.”
Marisa gritted her teeth and angrily stomped out of the door, through a portal, and back into the library.
“Why is she avoiding me? I’ve been so very helpful to her the last time!” Marisa cursed to herself, just as another portal appeared next to her and someone stepped out.
It was herself. But not the self that she loved. It was her, Marisa. Red hair, tanned skin with a white witch robe. Two years older, just like the self that fraternized with the odd girl with an emerald eye.
“Younger me.” She started.
“Hm? What is it?” Marisa furrowed her brow and looked at the older one suspiciously.
“Mistress has just started a very important journey.” The older Marisa said, grinning mischievously.
“One that is intrinsically linked to the existence of that ‘Arisu’. Prevent her from gathering the items that the Broker tasked her with retrieving, and Arisu will never exist. Without those items, her parents will die pathetic deaths.”
Marisa’s eyes widened, and she nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear.
“Of course!”