Aeron pulled on the rope at the base of the tree. Above him a bell rang. He waited for about five minutes and then rang it again. After a few more minutes a wooden platform on ropes began descending from above. He looked behind him to make sure Quail was still hiding under the bush Aeron had left him at. He was still out of sight. Quail was a well trained rabbit, and "hide" was one of the first commands he had been taught.

As the platform lowered, the Vaarie standing on top gradually came into view. She had bright yellow skin, pointed ears, and long white hair. Behind her was a large pair of yellow and black wings. As the platform settled she dusted off her orange silk robes and looked down at Aeron through a pair of spectacles.

“Not often we have a Teh-Vaarie visit the Library of Gunthereia. My name is Elrin. What may we help you with?” Aeron cleared his throat and said,

“I’m researching something. I heard that your library has the journal of Nevid the Wanderer?” Elrin looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I’m not familiar with the tome, but I suppose we can look. If you would like to ascend with me you may wait in the lobby while we process your inquiry.”

Aeron joined her on the platform. Even standing with her next to him she towered over him. She held up her hand and a spark of light flashed twice on the tip of her finger. With a shake the platform began rising again. Aeron shuffled closer to the center of the platform. The wobbly wooden structure didn't feel quite as secure as he had assumed it would.

Elrin looked over at him and said,

“I suppose you wouldn’t be used to heights. It would probably help not to look down.” Aeron nodded and looked off to the side instead. The trees around them were not as tall as the one they were ascending. However, they also had platforms and lights lining the trunks. Most of the platforms in the other trees seemed to hold houses and stores. A small city had been built up surrounding the library. Aeron watched as more of the Sao-Vaarie flew in between the platforms. Their yellow and orange wings glowing slightly. They seemed to hover in the air, only flapping their wings every now and then to change course.

“So, do you uh, get a lot of visitors here?”

“Of course. The great library houses the largest collection of original works in the Amalgamation. As such we welcome patrons from all over. Primarily from Sontan, but we occasionally get visitors from Chanti and even as far as Velroon, although not as often.” She spoke in a bored way, almost as though reciting memorized lines. When she stopped there was nothing but the creaking of the platform to punctuate the awkward silence that followed.

Finally they reached the top. Aeron breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped off the platform onto more stable feeling wood. There were two guards standing on this platform. They both had similar complexions to Elrin. However he noted with relief that they were not as tall as her. This platform was small compared to the others. To their right was the raising mechanism, a mass of ropes and pulleys, which Aeron could now see was operated by one of the guards cranking a large wheel. In front of them there was a tunnel that led into the trunk of the tree.

Elrin led him past the guards and into the tunnel, which appeared to have been burned into the wood and then sanded down. There were still small patches of charred wood on smooth walls. Once in the tunnel they began ascending a flight of stairs. Every now and then they passed a crystal set into the wall that glowed with a golden light, illuminating their path. As they walked Elrin spoke again,

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“I must say it is intriguing to me that a Teh-Vaarie would engage in research.” She turned to look at Aeron. “What, if I may ask, is the subject of your enterprise?”

“Oh, I’m an inventor. I’m looking to rebuild a device from before Teshi’s breaking. Specifically it’s a device to boost crop yield. I’m hoping the journal has a description of it that I can study. Most of my own people’s records were destroyed.” Even though Aeron wasn't normally a liar, this one came out easily. He had been practicing it. Besides, it was close enough to the truth.

“Interesting. I’ve studied some pre-breaking Teh-Vaarie devices myself. I was thoroughly impressed with some of the marvels they achieved. It’s a shame the craft has been lost. You might find it difficult to replicate them without Teshi’s magic.”

“Yes, I’ve encountered that problem before. All the better to study them from a reliable source then.” Elrin gave a slight smile.

“I suppose so.”

The stairs eventually ended and they came to a large round room. The floor and walls had been carved out of the heart of the tree. Pillars spaced every so often supported the high ceiling above them. It had been painted with a large mosaic depicting Sao-Vaarie flying through an open sky. A honey colored glow emanated from crystal sconces on the walls and diffused around the room, giving it a warm feeling. Several Sao-Vaarie sat reading off of small wooden panels at tables and stools spaced around the room.

Elrin directed him to a cushioned stool by one of the tables. “Please, feel free to wait here while I process your request.” Aeron sat down, and Elrin walked away toward a desk by the wall where another Sao-Vaarie sat. They began talking and Aeron took the opportunity to examine the room around him more. There were several tunnels leading out of the room aside from the one they had come through. One of them had a single guard posted next to it who watched the room with a bored expression. Aeron gave a small awkward wave when the guard noticed him.

They didn't wave back.

Gradually the patrons around him began to finish reading and leave through the various tunnels. Soon only a few remained besides him. Eventually Elrin came back holding a large stack of wooden tablets. She set them on a table next to Aeron.

“Here is the tome you requested, make sure to return it to the desk when you are finished studying.” She pointed back to the desk against the wall. “Please enjoy your study, and keep in mind the library closes in a few hours.” With that she straightened up and walked back out through the tunnel they had entered in.

Aeron turned his attention to the work in front of him. It was a stack of thin wooden panels bound by three large metal rings on the side. He flipped through and started reading some of the flowing Sao-Vaarie script that had been burned into the wood. This was indeed the Journal of Nevid the Wanderer. Several of the pages had maps and diagrams detailing the Sao-Vaarie’s journey through Teshi a few years before the breaking.

He looked around him to make sure no one was watching before he pulled a piece of wood from his pocket. It was similar to the panel in front of him except the piece he held was only a fragment. There was some writing on it in the Sao-Vaarie script as well, it read, … and they held these new rituals around the heart of Teshi, deep beneath the temple. Reference map 46-b. He flipped through the Journal until he came to a map with the number 46 burned into the corner. The map detailed the land around the city of Temdro, the old capital of Teshi. He flipped the page but only found the beginning of a new chapter on the next page. He examined the writing on the page before the map. It described the land around the old capitol, but it seemed to make no mention at all of the city itself. The chapter on the next page skipped to a different city entirely. The section describing what Nevid did inside the capitol was missing.

This was an edited copy.