Lorelai stood in the hall outside the Athenaeum, her heart hammering with a mixture of excitement and dread. The grand door before her was made of dark, polished wood, inlaid with intricate silver patterns that shimmered faintly in the dim light of the corridor. It opened in perfect silence and the scent of parchment, leather, and ink hung heavy in the air upon stepping inside. The faint sounds of students and instructors muttering to themselves from only added to the weight of the moment when they all looked at her, a first year enter.
She had never been here before, most of the first years did not even know about it unless access was given as a reward. It was a place of whispered reverence, an archive of knowledge coveted by the academy’s elite. Only those who earned a great merit or provided a great service earned the privilege of entering, apparently until now. Avantus had granted her access, but only as a way to catch up to the more privileged students. One wrong move, or failure to live up to expectations, and the doors would close to her along with the rest of the academy’s resources.
Her fingers still gripped the pass Avantus had given her, the slip of paper pressed against her palm like a lifeline. She exhaled slowly and stepped through the doorway, the sound of her feet echoing in the stillness. The Athenaeum was far grander than she had imagined. Endless shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls lined the stone walls, the volumes thick with age and knowledge. The scent of old paper provided a cozy warmth similar to spending the evening at an elderly relatives house. The room stretched high above, its ceiling lost in shadows, with high arched windows allowing slivers of light to dance across the dark wood and stone. The vastness of it overwhelmed her, but there was something comforting in the stillness of the place, a quiet that seemed to hum with the promise of discovery.
A figure stood at the far end of the room, sorting through several scrolls, seemingly uninterested in her arrival. Lorelai failed to recognized the librarian, the status sheet she had brought up identified her as a Mindreaver named Shree. A rare and enigmatic race known for their affinity with the mind and senses. Despite their humanoid appearance, Mindreavers were easily distinguished by their large, translucent antennae that sprouted from their temples. Shree's antennae were long, curved like a beetle's horns, and they twitched faintly as if sensing the very air around her. They reflected a subtle iridescent sheen, catching the dim light of the room with each movement.
Shree had a pale, almost ethereal quality to her appearance, with her blonde hair cascading down her back in a loose braid, framing her delicate features. Her eyes, deep and almost black, were pools of concentration, always seeming to see more than the surface of things. There was an uncanny stillness about her, as though she existed between worlds—both physical and mental—her senses extending far beyond the normal human range.
"You must be Lorelai," Shree said, her voice smooth and serene, but with an underlying power that made it impossible to ignore. She didn't turn to face her immediately, but Lorelai could feel the librarian's attention on her, as though Shree had known she was there long before Lorelai had entered. "Avantus told me to expect you. I’m assuming you’re here for your tomes?"
Lorelai nodded, stepping forward cautiously, her pulse quickening. "Yes, that’s right. He said I could choose one sword and one spear technique tome."
Shree turned slowly, her antennae sweeping outward in a subtle arc, sensing the air around Lorelai with a delicate, almost instinctual movement. Her gaze landed on the younger woman, piercing yet calm. "A good choice. One-handed weapons. It will help you focus on control and precision. Follow me."
Lorelai trailed after her, impressed by the vastness of the room’s knowledge, saturated in all sides. She hadn’t realized just how much she craved this access until now. Every tome, every scroll, seemed like a key to something she’d never had; a chance to finally learn how to fight properly and with technique.
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Shree moved effortlessly through the room, her antennae shifting with each step, as though gathering subtle information from the atmosphere. She reached up and pulled a large, leather-bound tome from the shelf. Its cover was embossed with intricate patterns of swords crossing and a spear thrusting upward. She handed it to Lorelai, her long, slender fingers barely brushing the cover.
"Is this the one you want? I suggest you follow your instincts when choosing a sword style," Shree said, her voice like a soft murmur, but her words felt like they resonated deep within Lorelai. "The Mastery of One-Handed Blades; essential tome for beginners. It will teach you the fundamentals: grip, stance, basic strikes, and how to move with your blade rather than just use it as a club. This will help you build muscle memory and coordination."
Lorelai took the book, feeling the weight of it settle in her hands. The texture of the leather cover was warm, almost alive under her fingertips. She studied the intricate designs that adorned its surface, but she immediately knew this was not the type of book she was looking for.
"I want to select a technique that will put me on the path of carving out my own destiny. This beginner book will get me barred from ever setting foot in here again. Shree looked at her with eyes that didn't seem to be looking at her, as if she was staring a thousand yards out. "Very well," Shree responded.
They walked deeper into the library until they stopped at the oldest looking tomes she had seen in the athenaeum, "No one comes here," Shree explained, "everyone thinks these techniques are outdated and lack one thing or another, but these are the best tomes in the athenaeum. A king would be fortunate to have these. Lorelai spent a good time looking around until she found a book that seemed to resonate with her above all others: Diamond Cutter: The Dragonslaying Sword.
The title was simple, but it combined sword care techniques to keep the sword its absolute sharpest at all times using an enchantment technique during the forging process. It utilizes both overbearing strikes and fluid soft strikes. It was flexible for any situation and even contained footwork techniques as well.
"And for the spear," Shree continued, her antennae now twitching as if attuned to Lorelai's thoughts. She moved to the opposite shelf, her body flowing with the grace of someone who was constantly aware of her surroundings. She retrieved another book, this one equally as thick, its cover adorned with swirling patterns of spears and shields. "Spear of the Divine: Precision and Punishing. You’ll learn the fluidity of thrusts, the sweep of the polearm, how to utilize every part of the spear for both offensive and defensive maneuvers, and how to use your reach to control distance between you and your opponent."
Lorelai accepted the second book, the weight of it even more solid in her hands. It felt like a weapon in its own right, something that would help her gain a sense of control over her own unsteady grip.
"These two books should keep you busy," Shree said, her expression unreadable, though her eyes retained their steady, calculating gaze. "Avantus is right in his assessment, these will certainly assist in your rapid improvement if you can understand them."
Lorelai nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She was ready. She’d never been more ready for anything in her life.
"Thank you," Lorelai said quietly, her voice thick with gratitude feeling the weight of the books. Shree gave a small nod, her antennae flicking with a subtle motion. "You’re welcome. The real work starts when you open those books and start practicing. If you fail, there’s no one here to catch you. But if you succeed… well, then you may find your work cut out for you."
Lorelai clenched the tomes to her chest, her resolve hardening like steel in a forge. "I won’t fail."
Shree’s eyes softened just slightly, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips. "I hope so."
With that, Lorelai turned, the heavy tomes now firmly in her arms. She felt as if the very air around her had shifted, as though she were standing on the threshold of something greater than herself. She had no idea what the future held, but for the first time since she had arrived at the academy, she felt she did not need to explain her inadequacies. The knowledge was now within her grasp.