“Are you all right, Silvius?” Leonidas asked, he and Hypatia following Silvius as he walked out from the inner library and into an open courtyard with neatly trimmed and lightly shaded by several trees doted throughout the area.
The scholar stopped, shaking his head, saying “I don’t know, I just don’t know. None of that should’ve gotten to me, but it did.”
“He wasn’t exactly being diplomatic in his views,” Hypatia said to Silvius.
“That’s putting it lightly,” said Leonidas, looking back to see if their guest was lingering behind.
“You know Aurelius is not the best when it comes to putting himself in others shoes. And he’s never had a scholar’s heart when it comes to weathering such storms,” Hypatia said in a comforting voice.
“But he isn’t wrong about the elders,” Silvius said. “And that’s what bothers me the most.”
“What do you mean?” Hypatia asked.
“We spent months trying to getting the mere pittance they gave for us to go and find the fortress. Yet all the while I remember Elder Reman discussing furnishing his newest home out in the country. You almost have to drag them through the mud simply to have them give you the decency of their time and then they act as if merely speaking to them is an insult of the highest order.”
“Maybe if we present them with what we found it might help a little,” Hypatia asked with some reservation.
“You think it’ll make a difference?” Silvius asked.
“It certainly would be better than wondering how things might be and never knowing,” Leonidas followed in support of Hypatia.
“I guess it’s better than nothing,” Silvius replied.
Arriving to a tall and wide stone building situated in the center of the campus grounds. Leonidas had to step back while lifting his head up to see the faint peak of the steeple placed at the top of the building. “Most impressive,” he said in a hushed voice.
“This was once tabernacle of the Caeltru before it became University of Orumus,” Silvius said.
“Certainly, kept its theological origins,” the doctor said.
Inside the first chamber, there were elaborate wood molding lining the ceiling of each wall of the room. Wooden columns held aloft the upper floor above them with tapestries covering the walls. A desk rested in the middle of the room, and a human male sat there, the scratching of his quill scribbling on a parchment broke the silence. As the three neared the man he looked up and lifted both of his brows.
“Oh, what brings you here this day?” he asked them.
“We were hoping to speak with one of the elders,” Hypatia said to the man.
“Do you have an appointment?” the man asked.
Hypatia shook her head. “Sadly no, this is more of an impromptu moment.”
The man chagrined for a brief moment regaining his composure. “Let me see,” he said, leafing through the pages of a small book next to him, “most of the elders are in the midst of meetings and councils, I’m afraid.”
“Is there anyone available?” Silvius asked.
“There is Elder Horatius, he’s currently free to speak to for a little while,” the clerk replied.
Hypatia and Silvius exchanged glances. “He isn’t the worst to speak to on such matters,” she said to him.
“Might even get some poor stone moving our way,” Silvius answered before following Hypatia from the desk.
“Who’s he?” Leonidas asked.
“He helped us get the funding for our expedition before we even met Benkin and Maeryn,” Silvius said to the doctor. “He’s been more than instrumental in help us with this whole situation.”
“Be nice if he had a contract for Cid and the others,” Leonidas said.
“For mercenary work?” Silvius asked, confused.
“Why not?” the doctor replied. “Being patroned to explore ruins, collect artifacts of note and worth, all the while expanding our own understanding of the world and past. All the while avoiding some of the darker aspects that come with this profession.”
“Were you a mercenary before?” Hypatia asked.
“I worked with a few, back in the Outlands. So it’s something I’ve had some familiarity with.”
“You were quite the rolling stone, weren’t you?” Silvius followed.
“That’s putting it lightly,” the doctor replied.
“Still, he might be able to help us out,” Silvius said, turning towards the direction of long and tall stone building on the other end of the campus.
***
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“Well, well, well!” said a man as he rose from his leather chair. “Who do I have the pleasure of greeting,” the man said, walking over to Silvius, Hypatia and Leonidas, reaching out to shake their hands.
“It’s been a long time, Professor Aurelius,” Silvius said, taking the man’s hand.
“Come now,” the professor said, “we don’t need to use titles here, do we?”
“Sorry, force of habit,” Silvius said, letting out a nervous chuckle.
“Think nothing of it,” the man said, smiling. “Now what brings you all to my part of the world?”
“Well,” said Hypatia, “we were hoping to speak with you regarding our recent expedition.”
“Right,” the professor said, rubbing his chin. “I had heard there were some interesting findings there in your report.”
“Interesting is a bit of an understatement,” said Leonidas.
“Fair enough,” Aurelius said. “What is it exactly that you’re trying to do?”
“Well, we were hoping to gain access to the special collections of the library.”
“Shouldn’t you already have access to them?” the professor asked.
“We mean the more … esoteric collections,” Hypatia replied.
Aurelius turned to the others, his brows furrowing together and a concerned look on his face. “I see,” he said after a long pause. “That might be more problematic than I’d like to admit.”
“What do you mean?” Silivus asked.
“The elders weren’t exactly thrilled to give your expedition any funding when it was brought to their attention. And that was for a normal expedition.”
“But we showed that our research was correct,” Hypatia insisted.
“Indeed it was,” said a man behind them, standing in the doorway. The man was a thin, tall elf, blonde hair flowing down past his shoulders and neatly trimmed. His clothes were dyed blue and white, and shined in the low light of the room. He held his hands behind his back as he moved into the room.
“Elder Thingel,” Aurelius said, “I wasn’t expecting your arrival.”
“I heard you were entertaining guests, so I figured I’d come and see what the whole meeting was all about. And while the university is happy to see your efforts brought forth some evidence to prove your claim. We do not see the use of allocating resources to continue this endeavor.”
“But we found The Unyielding Fortress!” Silvius exclaimed.
“You found the ruins of a fortress. Let’s not make it more than what it is,” the elf said.
“And what exactly will be the focus of the university’s resources?” Leonidas asked.
Thindel turned to the doctor, his nose wrinkled and eyes narrowed at the request. “That is a need to know basis. And you do not need to know.”
“I see, good to know our academic betters are tending to their duties with perfect objectivity,” the doctor said before heading to the door.
“Where are you going?” Silvius asked.
“To get some air, and avoid saying things I’ll regret,” Leonidas said before he left the room. He stood next to the doorway, tilting his head towards the opening to listen to the rest of the conversation. He couldn’t keep himself from grimacing as he heard the rest of the conversation, hearing the desperation in Silvius and Hypatia’s voices who were unable to sway the elf’s mind.
As the elder left the room, the elf did not give Leonidas a passing glance as he walked swiftly down the hall. Leonidas looked down and felt the urge to spit on the floor, holding back only to avoid ruining the carpet nearby. Leonidas turned back to hear Silvius say, “It’s hard to think of one naturally dispositioned for their own star to rise while they force others to fall.”
“This is the way of things,” Aurelius said. “It’s a sad facet of the world we live in.”
“But it goes against the very nature of what we do,” said Hypatia.
“I didn’t say it was positive facet, even a smart one, but one that exists,” Aurelius replied.
“It’s like nothing we do will change their mind,” Silvius lamented.
“Maybe not by nature’s touch. But know there are those who want to see you both succeed and proven your detractors wrong.”
Silvius said nothing as he left the room and began walking down the hall. Leonidas saw the defeated demeanor as Hypatia followed behind. Aurelius stood in the doorway, watching them leave before turning to Leonidas. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help,” he said the doctor.
“It’s hard when you’re the only scholar in an ocean of fools,” the doctor said before taking his leave and following his companions.
***
Leonidas saw Hypatia sitting at the table back at the clinic, her head resting on her hand, slowly shaking back and forth as her elbows rested on maps and notes spread out over the table. He walked over, grabbing a nearby chair and pulling it over to the other side. “Hugun for your thoughts?” he asked her.
She lifted her head enough for one eye to focus on him before slowly lowering back down. “I don’t even know where to start,” she said, running her finger through her hair.
“I think we could start with throwing the elf into a deep pit.”
“Don’t give me idea,” Hypatia said. “He’s been one of the biggest problems since Silvius and I started this endeavor.”
“How come? Doesn’t seem to be a beneficial policy to take?”
“He feels we’re stepping too far beyond what scholars should do and challenging the norm. So, he’s doing what he can to hinder us at every avenue.”
“Makes me want to hit the bastard even more.”
“You’re not the only one.”
“I’m surprised you’re like this, Hy,” said Leonidas. “You’re usually taking this stuff in stride.”
“This man’s been a constant thorn in our side and at this stage I’m past the point of being done.”
“That reminds me of more than a few people I’m glad are out of my life,” the doctor said, stretching his neck.
“Outlands?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Maybe there’s something in the land that causes some people to become fools.”
“I hope not,” said Leonidas, “I’d like to keep my mind.”
“I think you just lucked out,” Hypatia said.
“Seems like it sometimes. Any idea what you and Silvius are going to do?”
Hypatia shook her head. “I honestly can’t say. We might head back to the fortress and see what we can find, but without cross references it’ll be hard to see what’s what.”
“How are you holding up?”
“Been better, to be honest. But I’ll be fine. Just need some rest to clear my head and lose this fatigue,” Hypatia said, raising from the seat and heading towards the door.
“I’ll keep everything here for you both in the morning,” he said to her.
“Appreciate it, Doc. See you on the morrow,” Hypatia said. Leonidas listened as the door closed and he was greeted by silence while he stood alone in his home.
Leonidas grimaced. He recalled memories of when his own words were doubted by those who felt their own expertise surpassed his own. Despite their opinion based on neither an education on the subject or experience in the field, but on whims and flights of fancy catering to a rose colored view of the world. He couldn’t blame them. The world is a maelstrom of chaos and change, with few hating to embrace such things before they had a chance to adjust to the new normalcy. Seeking to make the world adhere to what they want for some semblance of order and stability.
But the extent many took to avoid all change instead of trying to find a balance between the new and the old was beyond toleration. Placing all hopes and dreams in keeping a façade of control only for what little they had to break wrested from their fingers. He could see this happening in the desolate places of the world. Where madness and reasoning warred each the other and no victor would ever be found before the passing of a hundred generations. Yet here, in one of the greater corners of the world. One of the epicenters of civilization itself, the rubes find themselves a new home to roost.
This thought gave Leonidas ill feeling in his stomach as he wondered what trials and tribulations would come from this willing ignorance. And the though gave him a cold shiver up his spine.