Virtual Dive, "Ice Princess Academy," Fennoth

Dawn, Prime Shard, 2565 A.D.

Archos Alpha Site, Northeastern Continent

Back in the library at last, Alessia carefully rolled up the seventeeth map she had checked, and got out the world map one last time. There was little time left in her game session, and even less in her character's 'free time.' So, there had to be a more efficient way.

"Valjon," she called softly, and the man was almost instantly at her side. "Wow," she thought, "it's like these poor characters only exist to serve my entertainment."

"Yes, Miss Robin?" He took the rolled map she handed him and tucked it in the cabinet behind him.

"I was thinking, there's only so much I can learn from these maps." She smiled sweetly and handed him a slip of paper, on which she'd listed about eleven locations. "Do you have any books on these areas?"

"At least some," he perused the list for a moment. "Actually, I have just the book."

He disappeared behind a shelf and came back with several books, laying the top one in front of her.

"The Wonderful World of Waterfalls, by Lector Franz." Alessia read the title. "That does look useful." She flipped open to the table of contents while Valjon primped a little behind her. Obviously, he was meant to be the, "softens up with a little praise" type. The book itself seemed well-organized, with waterfalls organized by continent and region in the Table of Contents, while indexes in the back sorted them by type, height, and size. As there were thousands listed in the back, she was glad she had narrowed it down.

"Oh, it's illustrated!" She realized happily as she turned to the first on her list.

"Why do people always go straight to the pictures?" Valjon sniffed.

Alessia rolled her eyes, as she'd no doubt lost a romance counter. "Information in the text is wonderful, but I'm looking for a range of waterfalls and mountains with very specific features. If I can see that in a picture, at a glance, that spares me more time to research them in detail."

"I suppose that makes sense." He sat down, seemingly mollified, and began to read another one of the books he had brought over.

A few waterfalls in, Alessia's hopes for the pictures had deflated somewhat. Usually, only one set of falls was shown for a whole region. The rest of the falls in that chapter had nothing. But - it was a start. And if she could cross off some possibilities off of her list, then maybe there would be books on the specific ones left which would have the pictures she wanted. Even the regional pictures helped, as she could see if the mountains in that area were even the right type. The descriptions were useful, too, in telling whether a particular set of falls ever froze.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Eventually, she had it down to five. "Do you have books on these few, specifically?" Alessia slid an updated list over, and dug into the two books Valjon brought back with ferocity.

"I'm sorry we don't have books on them all." He apologized as she shoved one book quickly away and looked through the next. "Though technically, we do have one book on Highcrest falls. It's just in the restricted section, as it's in enemy territory."

"The restricted section? Can I just look at it briefly?"

"I'm sorry," he shook his head. "Not even for you."

Alessia sighed. According to the game guide, the restricted section was one area the librarian path would get you to - after 'weeks' had passed in game. She didn't have time for that. She didn't even have another fifteen minutes. "Enemy territory?" She finally asked, "I heard there was a war, but I don't know much about it."

"The Five Sovereignties are at war with the nation of Chalcedon," he explained. "But it's been that way for ten years. I'm surprised you haven't learned about it, considering your position." He looked at her with fresh skepticism.

"Youngest princess," she shrugged apologetically. "My tutors usually avoid anything political, at the request of my sisters' mothers." She spun an explanation as fast as she could think of one. "They wouldn't want further competition for the throne."

"That's understandable," he relaxed slightly, "but I can't get mixed up in anything political." He shook his head sadly. "Perhaps you should go for the day - we are almost closing, anyway. You can come back tomorrow."

"Can I check out this last book?" Alessia bit her lip, annoyed to have lost the ten minutes left that she had.

"Unfortunately, it's in our reference section, so I can't lend it." He brushed a hand through his messy-but-perfect hair. "Sorry, Robin." The lights in the library dimmed, the background music dipping into a minor key. She'd lost too many romance counters in forcing him to consider politics too early.

Alessia logged out, there was no point in staying in the game. At least she had narrowed it down to four probable locations - assuming she didn't overlook anything, and that the game maps were accurate to the current planetary design.

"So stupid," she muttered as the pod began to disconnect her from the exo-suit and the sensory mist began to clear. "I don't even like the guy, he's not even real, and I get dumped when we weren't even going out."

Maybe Barb had had better luck.

----------------------------------------