Livia could not believe her eyes.
The line had shortened and shortened, all while Livia was looking around for any sign, sound or smell of books. She had seen all the same joys of discovery, and some people were even taking notes on paper, but they were reading off of stones.
She’d been too distraught to just go searching on her own, the strange feeling of being back in an alien world had returned with a vengeance for some reason, but with a darker tone this time–despite how unreasonable it felt for this to be the trigger, and when things had been going… Perfectly alright otherwise.
They were just books, they were not that important in the grand scheme of things. She was still surrounded by humans. Everybody even spoke English still, it was not a matter of isolation.
But her books, her books. If she could have brought only the most minor of things she’d have brought a book; despite how she’d gone over to electronics the last few years. Plenty of favorites were still only real to her as books.
Here it seemed they had tablets rather. Or maybe she would step around the corner and find they had a section of holograms. That was how it went here; either you were sent back to the dark ages or they had some strange innovation that could easily compete with her familiar technology… It was still hard getting used to it all, especially with the way events just kept escalating for a while, but she just hadn’t been expecting this of all places to turn into the unfamiliar. The needing to be dealt with.
Mr Beard distracted her when he sensed something familiar, and Livia stopped letting the surroundings draw her in for long enough to focus on the people in front.
That’s when the line ended, and Livia heard her name called by the familiar voice behind the desk.
“Livia, is that you?”
Livia could not believe her eyes.
It was Margaret.
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When Margaret dealt with her 289th new registered customer of the day and saw who came next she, well… She had the surprise of the month!
She saw directly it was an Earther, her mind reminded her of as much; next it reminded her this was one of the good ones, and finally it reminded her how this one had the cutest name, Roman if she recalled correctly: Livia.
Of course, when someone came in looking so different it was best to make sure first. “Livia, is that you?”
The young girl had grown. She’d been a rather average 5”7 when they last met, but it was clear to see she was still young enough that her body responded well to the magic that was found here. She had grown closer to a 5”9.
When the girl looked shocked and got stuck gaping it gave Margaret another second to think. Oh yes, she is the one who tipped me off to those books. That would explain it.
Margaret could tell the young lady had had a rough go of it; she was dressed in leather armor for some reason, and even had a small dagger by her side. Maybe it was merely a tool, but she cut a very different figure from when they last met more than six months ago.
So the experienced woman who’d been a librarian for 35 years turned up her warmest smile, and then gave the girl something to focus on while they both got their thoughts in order. “So, we ended up here together, didn’t we? Haha. Is that not a bit typical? The first time in a decade I give a modern fantasy series of such length a shot,”
Margaret could tell she was having a hard time dealing with this latest change in reality, poor girl had probably given up all hope of seeing someone from home. Hope rekindled could be painful. It unearthed things you thought buried.
And so the [Scholar] held out her hand for Livia to grab onto, which she did hesitantly as if unsure she was real even now, and then Margaret kept talking. About how she had luckily ended up here on the outskirts of Dormata from the get-go, and did not have a clue what was going on. But then she managed to find a store that was willing to buy the book she'd been holding when first being transported; The Five Winds.
Then she ended up lucky enough to find a place that could use some mature help with the younger workers, and that happened to have a spare room, and after only a few days of searching and learning the lay of the land. She'd been very lucky that Dormata was so large. The most comprehensive estimates she'd found claimed the city could house 4 million people, even if it seldom swelled to that size for extended durations. The houses were still built to last, so there was a surplus from what felt like it must be ages past, but plenty of people also still wanted new; and so Dormata grew.
Then Margaret explained all about how she had gotten to know more and more people and slowly made a life for herself; even getting a Class fit for her inclinations and a job here in her favorite place to boot.
Things were going relatively swell in this strange new place. “And I am glad you are alright too, Livia. Although I understand it can’t have been easy, not with ending up so far from aid, all alone; it was lucky it was good people you found first,”
That finally made Livia come out of her deep stupor, in which she’d been trying to slowly collect herself while listening to Margaret’s tale and only sharing a few barebone details of her own experience.
But instead of responding collectedly she finally broke down crying.
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Margaret did not let Livia stand there getting embarrassed at the head of the queue for long, she called a colleague over and begged a moment for personal business, then she ushered Livia into a sideroom.
All the while Mr Beard would not stop chattering.
[She’s really from your home then? Holy moly Livia, I get what it was Van Vicci was sensing now, she is practically reeking. Or, well it is not smelly per say. I do not know how to explain it. But it must be a Mark I am sensing on her. It must be.]
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He remembers the dumbest expressions, why did I ever give him that one!? They were still walking. “I’m so glad you’re alright Margaret, it’s not safe. I miss home so much,”
“Hush now, we’re almost there.”
When they sat down in a small room Margarets disposition changed slightly, and she looked more tired, but also like she relaxed here. Livia noted there were runes along the walls, and had to conclude they were safe to talk here. Relatively.
“I hope you are staying safe Livia, I really do. It’s not safe even here, you are right. But I am far safer than most, and I hope you did not take this “mission” thing that got us here too seriously,”
That brought them to the subject of their kidnapping, and Livia found out all kinds of details of her experience. Apparently others did have copies of Mr Beard as their kidnapper–and would also have him as their assistant, should they survive the designated time period.
But Margaret did not. When Mr Beard could tell Livia was fuming a bit, he told of how there were four different assistants to professor Silversteine in all who had given up part of their souls for the Spell; but Mr Beard remained tight lipped about the criterias for why they were chosen, so they nearly moved on. Right up until Livia casually mentioned how much it sucked being stuck–with someone who kidnapped you–in your head.
The [Scholar] looked at her like she was most likely insane, until Livia explained about the 95 days that needed to pass, and which had surely passed for Margaret by now, unless she was taken later than Livia?
She was not. And Mr Beard was finally forced to own up.
[Well, it is for many reasons that we split you into groups with different rules. The gist is that her assistant is coming. Probably any day now, but there is good reason for this. Older candidates were deemed by professor Silversteine as more likely to take a steady turn for the worse in terms of health, both mental and otherwise, if they had a hard time coping with life here. And if they started leveling it seemed clear they would take less risks, take longer to decide on a Class, and thus level slower, with them not being ready for increased powers by day 95 as a result.]
Livia was shocked at first, that they would make it harder for some of the Earthers to survive based on some arbitrary reason like this, but then she recalled again how Margaret had handled her situation quite differently from Livia as well. Would I have lowered my sights and stayed safer in Salcret if Mr Beard had not shown up to start urging me on?
Frankly the thought felt a bit silly to Livia as she thought about it more; if anything it was the rest of her ‘lads’ that pushed her on to fulfill what she had originally envisioned to be her life-raft–the [Guild]–when first coming here and being left by the System in the wilderness, feeling like she was teetering on the edge of survival and needing to be useful to feel safe.
And then she was the one who had pulled them all further and further into it; it was simply the nature of leveling. Why would you ever half-ass it? The people in Doc Forrest treated even their hobbies as something to become the very best at, whenever there was energy to spare from their true profession.
Maybe Margaret is really the safe one, but I should still give her a heads up. “Look Margaret, I get it if you’re not up for more than this. If this is all you want to do then do it, this is great and I’m so damn happy to see you settled,”
Margaret glowered a bit at the profanity but let Livia continue. “But I want you to be ready, I had a big surprise show up in the night of my 95th day here,” The older woman looked somehow prepared for anything. “I’m sure the System is not quite done with you, and your ‘kidnapper’ will show back up to assist you further, probably in some other ways based on your Class, but even if you pick a new power, stay true to you, alright?”
“Oh, I see.” She seemed to stop and consider if there might be hidden risks to this, since these kidnappers were evidently not quite done with her. “As you say, I will do as I please, and I was not saying I completely ignored their spiel of what risks this world is under, I simply acknowledge I will do the best possible job at aiding the future from right here,”
And Livia had to smile at that. It was easy to remember how Margaret had run the Scoville library too, and to imagine what she’d do over time with levels to aid her here.
She asked Livia some more questions of her plans, but then it was time to get down to the business that had brought her here. “Do you think you can help me find out more right now? Do you think I can learn more about my Skills here, do you really have resources even on civilian Skills?”
They did, and Livia’s fear of never seeing another book was soon extinguished. The stone tablets turned out to be Enchanted; and they showed more text than the surface could hold; just only for the one using it.
It made the whole thing a novel experience, even if Livia was going to miss proper bookbinding. People considered paper expendable and cheap here, not fit for anything truly important unless you were out in the boonies.
But after being on the receiving end of all that help, it horrified Livia to learn that–just as they were closing up for the day and she left to head over to the meeting at the inn which she was now so, so late to–she could not help Margaret in turn.
A kind farewell, right before the innocent question came along like a bolt from clear skies. “You didn’t happen to still be holding my hammer when you came here, did you? I was holding a book, and that came along fine you see, but I see you don’t have it on you at the very least,”
And a pointed look.
Livia had to quickly explain… It was a funny story, at least if Margaret ever felt like maybe vacationing down south?
No such plans. No.
Figures.