Leonidas was in his examination room, leafing through pages of a book titled An Examination and Analysis to The Influence of Psionic Auras in Non-Magical Adults as he heard a knock on his door. Calmly closing the book he went to the door and found Silvius and Hypatia on the other side. “Hello there,” the doctor said to them, “what brings you two over here?”

“Well,” Silvius said, “we were on our way to the university’s special archive and thought you might be open to joining us.”

“Really?”

“I mean, you’re sort of the expert in these matters,” Hypatia replied.

“I wouldn’t call myself an expert, honestly. Probably well informed.”

“You know more than anyone else in our group,” Silvius followed.

“That’s fair,” Leonidas replied.

“And it’d be a good idea have someone who knows what to look for … help us with what to look for,” Hypatia said to the doctor.

“Also fair. But am I going to need anything for being there?”

“Not really,” Silvius said with certainty. “As long as you’re with us, you should be fine.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone else is showing up today, let me grab a few things and I should be ready to leave.”

***

Leonidas followed Silvius and Hypatia down the wide stone hall and towards the far end of the corridor. Students and scholars moving from passages dotting all over, most barely noticing them at all. The doctor looked up and saw the red earthen façade that covered the curved ceiling above them. The pillars etched in elaborate stone engravings covered the stoneface. Almost hypnotizing as the doctor tried to find every little detail made into the artwork.

“I miss coming here,” Silvius said, a sense of homecoming in his voice. “Feels like we haven’t been here for ages.”

“Especially after your conversation with the Rector and the Academic Senate,” Hypatia said to Silvius.

“Don’t remind me.”

“What are we looking for anyway?” Leonidas asked.

“Well, since you mentioned laylines and their connection to the fortress, I though it would be prudent to try and see what literature the library has on that matter here,” Silvius said to the doctor.

“You think they’ll have stuff on that?” Leonidas asked. “It’s not exactly something most academics would find worth their time anymore.”

“Some still delve into the studies of the esoteric,” Hypatia followed. “Even if most find the subject as unbecoming of a scholar.”

Leonidas scoffed. “I see some things never change.”

“What do you mean?” Hypatia asked.

“Long story for another time,” Leonidas replied. “And I doubt there’s many here who’d appreciate hearing such things.”

Reaching a door on the other end of the long hallway, Silvius knocked on the only flat spot on a door covered in elaborate etchings and patterns. After a moment the door cracked open and two eyes peered through the other side. “Can I help you?” the voice called out.

“Hello Terron, we sent a missive a short while back about examining some of the tomes you have regarding ley lines and their arcane properties,” Silvius replied.

“Oh yes yes,” the voice said, opening the door further and revealing a stone humanoid figure, hewed into the shape of a man who had seen many winters with few springs to soften the hardships. “I remember reading that a while back. I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up.”

“Well, we were out of the city for a brief spell,” Hypatia replied.

“Must’ve been some spell,” Terron said, “but that’s neither here nor there, I guess. Come, come, I’m sure you don’t want to stand out chewing the fat and all that.”

Terron led them down three flights of stairs, dimly lit with sconces on the walls trailing downward. At the bottom of the third set, they reached a large room lined with tall shelves touching the ceiling and filled with tomes, scrolls, small journals, and other literature filling each level. Leonidas nodded slowly as he surveyed the whole room and took in the scope of library’s collection.

“This is most impressive,” Leonidas said aloud.

“Tis but a paltry compared to the full scope of the university’s complete collection,” Terron said.

“There’s more than this?” Leonidas asked.

“Indeed. The University elders feel that having all of what they have displayed could be opening the doorway to someone taking such knowledge for their own benefits though at the expense of others,” Terron told the doctor.

“Can’t blame them for that,” Leonidas replied. “The library at my university had similar policies now that you bring that up.”

“What was it you were looking for?” Terron asked them all.

“Something on leylines,” Silvius replied. “We might’ve found something pertain to that when Hypatia and I were at the Unyielding Fortress.”

“I am still perplexed you were able to find it,” Torren said. “A few of the elders stirred in their seats when they heard the news.”

“How come?” Hypatia asked.

“Whatever troubled them they would not share with me. Though perhaps they were unkeen on sailing more turbulent waters regarding the city’s past.”

“Is it really that much of a change to know the place exists?” Leonidas asked.

“Many considered the place something residing in the realm of myth and legend. Something living only in the imagination. And many have found comfort in the tightly woven tapestry of this city’s past. If they find something exists which challenges the very thing they harken to, it begs the question; what else do they not know?” Torren said in a calm demeanor.

“Still, I wouldn’t think such a find would bring such … reactions,” Silvius said.

“To some even a small ripple can have the same devastation as a rogue wave.”

“I’ve seen my share of that,” said Leonidas.

“Have you?” Hypatia asked him.

“A lot of people prefer keeping whatever semblance of control they can, even if it meant watching the world burn around them to retain it.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Glad to see nothing changes in Terramiserae,” said Silvius.

“That is putting it lightly,” Leonidas said.

“Well, the section you will want to go is close to the back of the archives chambers, where some of our ancient treatise of arcane reside. Sadly, I should get back to sorting returned tomes from the faculty,” Terron said to them as he bowed his head down, “if there is anything you need, feel free to find me in my study.”

“Thank you, Terron,” Silvius replied, as he and the other two waved the attendant’s departure. The scholar looked around, he arms akimbo while looking over the many shelves surrounding them. “Well, I’m looking forward to this archival expedition, what about you two?”

***

Leonidas rubbed his eyes tightly while clearing his throat before looking back down at a rolled out scroll he was examining. The ends held down by two candle sticks. The map had cracks and heavy discoloration along the edges. Roads spawning from the city of Orumus zigzagged over the country, intersecting and separating at many points, towns long since gone marked on the map which he saw had long disappeared in newer maps he had seen throughout the day. Some villages situated near the outlier of Orumus had now become established settlements of the Torcello and Sinpassi wards of the city. Leonidas could even make out some of the wards walls that were once part of the older city walls.

“Hmm,” he said, noting the city’s growth over the years. His eyes moved to the center of the city, with a bluish white line stretching from the small circle, straight and guiding its way down to the small village of Amlin. There was a notable difference in the size of the town compared to what he had seen. “That’s interesting.”

“What did you find?” Hypatia asked, placing a thin red ribbon between two pages and closing a book she was reading.

“I found something interesting,” he said, gesturing her to come over. As she sat down next to him and looked over the map.

“Is that Amlin?” she said, putting her finger over the town.

“Yeah, seems to have been a lot bigger back in the day.”

“How back in the day are we talking here?”

“I think this map predates the war against the Dracon Lords.”

Hypatia’s eyes widened as she slowly moved her head back. “That’s quite a ways.”

“I know. Seems like Amlin was more or less the town attached to the fortress.”

“I’m surprised no one tried taking the fortress one by attacking the town.”

“There were attempts, though most didn’t want to try and take the place on in direct conflict, and it seemed most of the food was grown inside away from raiders. So attacking the town wouldn’t have had the desired effect.”

“I wonder what caused the town to shrink that much?” Hypatia asked.

“Probably when the fortress was abandoned and forgotten many made their way to Orumus or other parts of the world. Can’t entirely blame them. Must’ve felt as if they were being fettered to a corpse.”

“I guess this must’ve been after the rebellion against the Wraith King.”

“That’s my guess,” said Leonidas. “Though I haven’t checked for other maps to check when they were drawn.”

“What are these silver lines here?”

“My guess are leylines. They stretch from where the council’s building is in the Heraclea Ward all the way down here.”

“And it seems to extend out to other parts on the map, too,” Hypatia said, her finger following another ley line down to another part of the map and resting in the center of a massive fortress far from the city.

“Yeah, seems like there was a system of sorts during that period.”

“What were they exactly doing with this?”

“Depends, could’ve been a menagerie of reasons. Experiments, services, who knows? It’s a little hard to get a gauge on that with only a couple of maps at the moment.”

“I think I found something,” Silivius said as he placed a large tome nearby where Leonidas and Hypatia were.

“What do you have?” Hypatia asked.

“Research notes from Tiberius of Ruluti back in the reign of the Rubicon Empress Julia.”

“He focused on leyline?” Leonidas asked.

“They were starting the preliminary research into that, he was considered the first expert in the subject.”

“Well, that’s a good find, what does he say?”

“Let’s see … hmm … farmers noticing unusual energies and events on their property. Hauntings and good old possessions.”

“Those are fun,” Leonidas replied.

“It seemed the council building in Orumus used to be a sister temple with grand temple back in Reman,” said Silvius.

“Huh, that’s interesting,” said Hypatia, “How is that connected with leylines.”

“It was something the Rubicon did when they discovered leylines,” said Leonidas. “Possibly to help strengthen their hold in the region.”

“Right,” Silvius followed, “Possibly to help spot or counter any magic they’d find problematic.”

“That’d be my guess,” said Leonidas. “Be nice to know who exactly did the research, though.”

“That’s what happens when you only hire the illustrious, but temperamental writer Anon Y Mus,” Silvius said with a chuckle.

“I have to remember that one,” Leonidas said, pointing to Silvius approvingly.

“Fancy see you two down here,” they heard a voice call out. A thin man, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and moustache and well kept brown hair. “Didn’t expect to see you lot back so soon.”

“Aurelius,” Silvius said. “What are you doing here?”

“Going through a few census records for some research,” Aurelius said, plopping a thick tome onto the table next to the three. The heavy thud causing their own to shudder briefly.

“Census records?” Hypatia asked. “Didn’t think that was your cup of tea?”

“It isn’t, but Professor Hadrian’s research on deciphering ancient texts from some ruins in Remus had it’s patronage cut by the elders and so he handed me over to another professor so I would have some way of making a living academically.”

“Why was Hadrian’s funding cut?”

“The elders felt the time made to determine what the scripts said was too long and the contents too unimportant to merit the effort and coin.”

“And did the elders say where the money was going to go?”

“Something regarding the social ramification to the proliferation of pointed shoes for the general public,” Aurelius said with embarrassment.

“I wish I could say I’m surprised,” said Hypatia.

Aurelius turned to a cart behind him and grabbed another large tome and dropped the book onto the table. “Seems this was something the Council were keen to see the results of.”

Leonidas looked at the book with wide eyes. “Well that one is a keeper,” he said to Aurelius.”

“Indeed. I don’t think I’ve made your acquittance yet,” Aurelius said to the doctor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Silvius said, “this is Leonidas, he helped us out when we were delving into those ruins we were telling you about?”

“Is that so? How did it turn out?”

“We found the Unyielding Fortress!” Hypatia said, excitedly.

Aurelius’s jaw dropped as he leaned towards the three. “No! You jest!”

“I swear on my house’s honor, it’s actually there,” said Silvius.

“Bless my beard,” Aurelius said, rubbing his chin contemplatively. “I didn’t think there’d be anything valuable there.”

“You didn’t think they’d find anything?” Leonidas asked.

“Well, one does hope for the best, but it’s always prudent to not let your hopes get too high in case things do not go as you want.”

“He’s not fully wrong,” said Hypatia.

“Perhaps you could go to the elders and see about getting some more funding for your research,” Aurelius suggested.

“You think they’ll do that?” Leonidas asked. “I was told they weren’t the biggest supporters of this whole thing.”

“No, but having some results might have them reconsider the entire thing. Especially since you have results to present to them.”

Hypatia turned to the others. “It would make it easier to get access to the more exclusive collections.”

“There’s an exclusive collections?” Leonidas asked in disbelief.

“It’s a way to both protect the more prized possessions in the university’s collection, as well as acquiring more coin for their coffers,” Aurelius answered.

“I mean, maintaining those artifacts isn’t exactly the cheapest endeavor,” said Silvius.

“Oh sweet summer child,” said Aurelius, “always looking for the best in people.”

“How else will those charged with preserving those artifacts accomplish such without the means to do so?”

“Perhaps if the elders would devote less of the coin coming to this institution to their pockets, to fund their fifth of sixth manor, carriages etched in gold and silver, vineyards for their wines, stables for their many steeds, and rich abodes with their paramours away from their wives.” Aurelius answered, remorse coloring his tone near the end. “Honestly, it makes me glad I’m leaving this forsaken place.”

“You, too?” Hypatia asked.

“Too?” Leonidas followed, confused.

Aurelius nodded. “A merchant wants me to join their caravan. The pay will be far more than the pauper’s pay here and I won’t be treated like some foul fiend simply for using my mind and the lessons taught to think beyond what the instructors and elders have limited themselves.”

“But what of your research?” Silvius asked.

“At this point, any use my research has is treated no better than a pile of horse leavings. I figured why not at least earn something of a decent living. Most around here are relics of ancient thoughts who value self-validation than actually seeking the truth.”

Silvius looked down, running his hand over the back of his neck. “I’d like to think not all use their influence for such things,” he said defeatedly.

“I doubt not,” Aurelius said, his voice softened greatly. “Many would still keep themselves from such temptations, but they are tragically few. Perhaps one could give them a reminder of what are mission is, and should be.”

“Perhaps,” Silvius said, his spirit seemingly renewing in its fire. “Perhaps one can show them a needed light.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Hypatia said, “But perhaps we should take a break and rest before continuing further.”

“I think it might be best,” said Silvius.

“Agreed,” Leonidas followed.

“Take care,” Silvius said to Aurelius, picking up some of the books and scrolls as Hypatia and Leonidas grabbed the rest.

“Until we meet again,” Aurelius said to them.

“Hopefully none too soon,” Leonidas muttered under his breath.