Chapter 26

“Let’s cut to the chase then,” Mikel said, grabbing a pen and paper to take notes with. He assumed he would have to venture into the stacks regardless of the information he gleaned from Librarian, and he wanted to know where to find things should he get lost.

“I’m the bearer of The Callisto Jewel. A… Friend, showed me how to transmute Stamina to Essentia since I’m what she referred to as “veiled.” I can’t access Essentia the way a normal human would and have to convert it through the Gates within my body. I acquired The Callisto Jewel with the thought of only using it in dire straits as a last-ditch tactic as I was aware of the price it extracts from its users. What I wasn’t aware of was the fact The Jewel would make me use it, regardless of if I needed to or not. In addition to that, it is forcing me to use Stamina the way my friend showed me, all the while pulling my Cross Association away from whatever it’s supposed to be, to the Blood node.”

He took a breath and shook his head. A week ago ninety percent of that would have seemed babble to him, and now, unfortunately, he was capable of understanding it all.

“I need you to tell me where up to three books are, within the stacks, which will help me to overcome my handicap and to better understand how to use The Callisto Jewel without losing myself to the pull of the Blood node. Can you do that?”

For a long minute, the only answer Mikel got was the hum from before but amped up in intensity and duration. He was about to ask a follow-up question in an attempt to clarify the long-winded statement, but just as had happened before, the Librarian answered just before he spoke.

“That is a predicament.”

“Great. You’re supposed to be… What? Some all-knowing being floating above an empty desk? And yet this stumps you. Dammit - I’m,” He shook his head and cursed, “I’m sorry, Librarian. You didn’t deserve that at all. I’m just wrung out… And probably still hungover. I’ve got to stop drinking with Helsket. He’s like… Twice my size. Maybe more. It’s not even fair.”

The hum came back again, but this time it had a certain lightness to it, as if Librarian were -

“Are you laughing at me, Librarian?”

The hum cut off and Librarian spoke, still in the same mono-tone as before, but as with the hum, there was a certain lightness to the being's words.

“Of course not young Master Raithson. I would never do such a thing to a noble and distinguished scion such as yourself.”

Mikel narrowed his eyes at the empty chair and shook his head, “I just can’t catch a break. Can I?”

“Unlike your previous inquiry, I can answer that one reliably.”

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Mikel pinched the bridge of his nose and squinted, trying in vain to block out the last three days of madness from his mind.

He was, as with his inquiry, unsuccessful.

“Alright. Let’s get back to my first inquiry - since we’re making so much headway here. You said the information is a predicament. What does that mean to you, and to me? We’re very different beings after all. What is important to me, probably isn’t to you - and vice versa. Fill me in if you are able.”

“The predicament lies in the knowledge itself. Normally, any knowledge related to The Callisto Jewel, Veiling or Stamina to Essentia Bridging are restricted topics, reserved only for people with certain clearances I do not have the power to grant.”

“And I’m guessing I don’t have the clearances needed, right?”

“Not exactly,” Librarian said, “You possess the requisites for information related to The Callisto Jewel and Stamina to Essentia Bridging - so you would be able to take that information with you after leaving this place. Veiling is another matter - if you were the one who’d put a veil on someone then you would have access to the information. As it stands, you are the someone who had a veil put on them.”

“But that seems redundant - if I already knew how to veil someone why would I need to come here to learn how to do it?”

“Precisely,” Libraria said in a prim fashion, “You were wondering why more people weren’t here at any given time, and now you know. This place offers innumerable advantages, but also innumerable hurdles.”

Mikel sighed and pinched his nose again.

“So, given the two topics I have access to, can you recommend three books to help me better understand them?”

“Again, a predicament,” Librarian said.

Before Mikel could continue, a clearly irritated Librarian interrupted.

“It is a predicament because one of the “books” you’re after is a scroll in the older part of the archives. Although the trip isn’t long in distance, it can be treacherous. Many of this place's darkest denizens lay in the area directly between us and the Legendarium where your scroll is housed. If you are up for an adventure -”

Mikel shook his head, “Normally, I’d say sure, well at least before I acquired The Jewel. Now, I’m not so sure. I don’t need to go adventuring into any dark recess of this place without the right equipment. I barely got away with The Jewel. Will I make it out of here if I pursue the scroll you’re telling me about?”

“No. Most likely not. The last report of the lich I spoke of earlier, described its habitation near the entrance to the Legendarium. That was nearly a decade ago, but time doesn’t have the same effect on immortals as it does on mortals.”

“Next,” Mikel said, “I’ll come back for the scroll if I’m able to.”

“Very well. The second piece of literature I’ve come across is a book on progression through The Crosses. It is located just a few stacks away. There are three copies of it and you may study it to your heart's content before you take your leave.”

“And I’ll remember the information?”

“As long as your mind can understand it, yes.”

Mikel nodded and jotted down the basics of what Librarian had just said.

“Name of the book?”

“Pilgrimage of The Crosses - Human.”

Mikel nodded while writing, “Location?”

A shimmering light erupted to being in front of him before shooting off to his right and down several aisles - the light hovered above a shelf he could just barely make out. It wasn't far.

“And… All I have to do is go and get it?”

“Yes.”

“And there aren’t any things you can sense around that could attack me?”

“I can’t sense any - but that doesn’t mean -”

“Good enough for me,” Mikel said as he turned and jogged towards the light shimmering in the distance.