The streets of Edgehelm bustled with life. The smells, noise and fantastical creatures intoxicated Larks senses. She felt utterly captivated, mind, body and soul.
“What is that?” Lark whispered, tugging at Fallstons belt until he stooped down to whisper in her ear.
“They are Gnolls, a tribal species that is fairly common in this land. They make excellent meats.”
Lark could well believe that as she stared at the finger long canines of the seven foot tall creatures. To her, they looked a little bit like Hyenas, but the fur was sleek and each individual that she could out in the crowded market had slightly different markings to pick them. Like the Cannanite, they appeared to be prolific in the City and Lark saw many Gnolls standing apart from the bustling crowds in the navy blue and copper dress of the City Watch.
“What is their particular skill?”
“The Gnolls? Hmm, well they are similar to the Cannanites in that they have an excellent sense of smell, but what sets them apart from the Cannanites is their blood lust.”
“Blood lust?” Lark whispered, eyeing the Gnoll to her left that was watching the crowd with a look of disinterest that somewhat detracted from the current conversation.
“Yes, watching a Gnoll fight is like watching a demon. They use every part of their body to rip, tear and bite. Sometimes, the blood lust will become so strong they begin eating their enemies while they are still alive. I haven’t seen that in the countless battles I’ve been in, but I’ve heard enough stories to believe it.”
Lark eyed the Gnoll again as they strolled by, it was only ten or twelve feet from her. Was it a he or a she, how could you tell? The gigantic predator looked like they could be leaning against a wall while texting, the body language of utter boredom synonymous in both worlds. Of course, there were no phones here, but Lark could see from her periphery as they passed by that the Gnoll was twirling a little leaf between its enormous claws.
“Where to know?” Lark looked meaningfully at Fallston, eager to continue exploring the City.
“The Map Guild, followed by the Adventurers Guild. Keep quiet when we go inside, I don’t want you causing me any more embarrassment.”
“Embarrassment! I’m walking around with a half man and half horse who doesn’t even know when he is taking a shit!”
The Map Makers Guild was built into an ornate pale white tower in the centre of the city. The single tower was surrounded by gardens with babbling brooks and sweet, fragrant air that smelled of daisy and tangerine. Two guards from the City Watch were stationed at the giant wood doors to the tower. The guards patted down the Captain, ignoring the countless daggers, several swords and arrows that appeared from every pocket. However, they did concern themselves with a tinder bundle and what appeared to be a little gadget similar in style to a ferro rod. The guards took the items and placed them in what one called a bag of holding and waved them in. Lark paused at the entrance to the tower, “Albus, you wait here, ok boy? Just be good, we shouldn’t be too long.” Lark knew Albus couldn’t understand her, but weirdly enough when she had told him to wait outside the shabby inn, he hadn’t moved and laid contently in the sun. She ruffled his ears while the puppy wiggled and washed its master's face with fresh kisses. Albus watched as his person and her donkey passed under the massive archway and descended out of sight. Stretching, the puppy got to his feet and padded away from the odd tower to the edge of the stream for a cool drink and to plan his itinerary until his human returned. Albus thought deeply, tilting his head from side to side to work complex into his mind the way his momma had taught him. Yes, a plan! He would explore all the smells in this garden and pee over there on that statue, it was a good day.
The entrance to the tower was dominated by a massive stone spiral staircase that led up or down, both directions fading into the depths as the staircase seemed endless. Without discussion, The Captain immediately chose downwards and the enormous staircase was filled with the echoing clip clop of his heavy hooves. As they passed into the dark where the sun from the door no longer penetrated, a blue flame sprang to life every twenty feet or so along the walls. The blue flames gave off no heat, only light. Lark felt compelled to touch one as she passed by, the lack of heat intriguing her beyond measure. She stopped, stroking the flickering blue flame as it danced across her skin.
“Mage fire” Stated Fallston.
“What does that mean?”
“Well in this place no real fires are allowed, it is just light that is shaped to replicate a flickering torch. The torch is a nice touch, it gives the place a better feeling.”
“Do you mean ambiance?”
“Probably? I’m a soldier, not a poet.”
Lark laughed, as the gigantic stallion made his way gingerly down the staircase, thankful it was well lit or the two of them would be stumbling down for what felt like miles.
Lark and Fallston continued in silence, going down further and further into the bowels of the tower. “Oh! It’s like an iceberg”, Lark stated, her abrupt realisation interrupting the rhythmic clip-clop of the Centaurs’ hooves. “This place, it’s almost entirely underground!”
“Iceberg, what's that?”
“Oh, you know! The massive blocks of ice that are in the really cold parts of the Ocean, like, around the North and South poles….and…what?”
The Centaur turned, fixing her with a look of longing, or maybe was that jealousy in his eyes? “I’ve never seen the Ocean. In all my travels, no matter how far I’ve gone from my home, I have never made it to the Ocean, though I saw her likeness once. Lake Eluned. So massive I could not make out the other side, despite using my skill. Her dark water lapped at my hooves calling to me and so I swam out as far as my legs could take me before I knew I had to turn back or meet the lady herself. I think the Ocean must be like that Lake, but I do not know if I will ever see it and make the comparison for myself.”
“Not a poet my ass, " Lark whispered, inconspicuously blinking away some moisture that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. Gosh, she sniffed, it must be dusty in here.”
The Centaur snorted, “don’t let anyone in this place hear you speaking of dust, he leaned toward her speaking conspiratorially in a jesting and hushed tone. I hear the First Druid himself enchanted this place to repel dust, dirt and decay. Perhaps, it is why we still have this place, a reminder of our potential, a fall much longer than this insufferable stair…
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He never finished his sentence. Lark and Fallston came to the bottom of the staircase and out into a gigantic cavern, with stone pillars rising so high you could not see the tops as they disappeared into the inky black. Everywhere, blue mage light shone, shining circular auras around arms of otherwise shadory figures that moved about through rows and rows of scrolls.
“Academics,” snorted the Centaur, “don’t engage in conversation in case you want to die of boredom or get lost amongst the tomes and never leave this place.”
Lost amongst books in a magical library! The academic, the student, and geek in her screamed with delight. Larks eyes glazed over and for a brief second she thought of running to the nearest bookshelf and twisting and turning until she was never heard or seen from again. How could a soldier ever understand her desire to explore every tome, every scroll until she knew all the secrets of this world. Lark swooned, reaching trembling fingers towards the nearest scroll, bound tightly by a red leather cord. “This way, the Map Guild is within the tower of knowledge, as no safer place exists for men who put their trust in paper.”
The tower reminded Lark of a library. Humans and Gnolls strolled through the cavernous room that was lined floor to ceiling with rolls of yellowed parchment that Lark could only assume were the maps. Hushed whispers and dampened footsteps made her ears strain as the hair on her neck stood on end. This place made her senses come alive! The soft blue from the mage light made her eyes adjust, sharpening night vision and dilating her pupils, focusing on specific book spines or corded scrolls. Where the noises became suppressed and light faded into the inky walls of the cavern, her nose inhaled the intoxicating scent of leather, vellum and…mushroom?
“Mushrooms?” The earthy fungi scent tickling her nostrils but somehow fitting seamlessly amongst the scent of parchment and books. That scent, rich, warm and umptious, needed investigating.
Fallston watched as the young woman made a sharp left and beelined in the direction he had intended on bringing her after showing her pieces of the tower. It was after all extremely impressive, even to a soldier such as himself. He knew she would love it, his hopeful anticipation gaining rapid assurance as her face lit up in wonder at the massive cavern with endless rows of scribbles on scrolls. In this place lay a kings wealth, not in gold but in knowledge and wisdom. Many towers of knowledge had finer libraries and in Eddas this was but a small one, perhaps, not even considered grande. However, amongst all the possible places on this continent of Tallow and in the world of Eddas, Fallston knew that it was he who had brought her here and witnessed the spark in her eyes. He had seen that before, a mage's eyes as they performed magic would lighten or darken with the intensity of the spell, she was not casting and the change was small, barely perceptible but to a man of his skill. Evidence, no matter how small, was usually worth the effort.
The mushroom smell grew stronger and Lark walked quickly, eyes hunting from one shadowy form the next as neat rows of desks and reading nooks opened in a semi circle around an area of moss and a small pond. At one of the desks lay neat piles of parchment in various stages of use, appearing to be replicated by hand by a woman who turned to greet her as she approached. Larks breath caught in her throat, the figure pulled back a shimmering hooded cloak of blackest midnight and the smallest gasp escaped her lips.
“Soratami, or Moon folk,” Fallston whispered into her ear. “She won’t speak to us but we can speak to her. This one is particularly beautiful although all are said to be flawless.”
The creature that Fallston had stated was a Soratami, she drifted towards Lark, an almost angelic being of pale skin with a blue light that seemed to emit from within. The being appeared to levitate, but Lark noticed that her dress of silvery white was cut long in order to completely hide her feet giving the illusion of magic although she certainly couldn’t discount it after what she had seen in this world. The Soratamis face was framed with swirling silver hair in the windless cavernous hall and the whole effect reminded Lark of Disney animations, the eyes were too big, the skin too perfect, the hair too long and ornate patterns on her face that accentuated her chiselled features with intricate silver markings along the cheekbones that added to supernatural moment. She was stunning, and Lark felt shame as she pulled her tattered Gortex jacket around herself, her small attempt to hide noticed by the creature as it fixed silvery blue eyes on hers.
“Greetings.” Stated Fallston, bowing slightly at the hips. The creature extended her arms and palms downwards as if pushing herself off from the ground and levitated to be eye to eye with Fallston.
Larks mouth gaped open in astonishment, disbelieving what her own eyes were seeing.
“We need a map with directions to the Obescura. Only a sketch mind you, I don’t have the coin for anything worthy of your talents.”
A nod while she turned, raising her arms with palms up to decrease in height until her figure floated just inches above the floor and disappeared amongst the innumerous shelves of parchment.
“She is Otsukimi,” Fallston murmured.
Lark nodded, believing for the first time in her life that more information would be of no benefit. She could hardly blink and miss a second of the wondrous sight. Levitation! Lark was indeed seeing an everyday use of magic in one of the most beautiful creatures conceivable.
Otsukimi returned with a large purplish tomb drifting down from the shelves, like a shimmering cloud from the depths of the spiralling tower. As she landed or hovered before Lark, she could not tell which…a gust of air pushed back on her cloak revealing long and wild silvery hair, intertwined with flesh that Lark took note of. Ears, she exclaimed. Rabbit ears! Otsukimi smiled, nodding politely before stroking the spine of the book, gently, like a lover and opening it to the very page she required.
Lark tried to peer over the shoulder of Fallston and Otsukimi as she got to work, penciling a copy of the map from the book and writing additional details along the border of the page. Lark marveled and the speed and the intricacy as she caught snippets of the map coming to life, the cities the woods the rivers and lakes were all miniture but with realistic colours. The woods even swayed, the streams and rivers appeared to twist and turn, attempting to break free from the constraints of the long parchment that bound their forces of nature. Lark cried, she didn’t mean to, she hadn’t even know that the tears had come until one drop fell onto the map and all work ceased.
“I’m so sorry, oh my God, I can’t believe…I am so stupid.” Lark babbled in panic as the wetness from her tear spread up the parchment, obscuring what appeared to be a crossing in the road.
Fallston swung his hindquarters, pushing her back a few feet as her tears and heartbeat increased in tempo.
“Fear not child of the dark waters, this map cannot be ruined with such ease”.
“Dark waters…wait, what?”
“Hush, the river is imprinted on your mind. You must learn to hide it.”
“What the hell does that mean? What river?”
“Silence! Hissed Falston, gritting his teeth he continued, “we are not in a place to talk about such things. Moon folk read things of the night, she can catch glimmers of your dreams.”
Lark, eyes wound with disbelief, looked at Otsukimi for verification and received the briefest of nods.
“Ok, please continue Otsukimi. I will not interrupt your work.”
Lark slipped away, disappearing into the inky black between the stacks of tombs and scrolls.
“The game is afoot.” stated Lark. Dipping and weaving until she was entrenched deep in the bowels of the library.
“Somehow, I belong to this world and it’s about time I get some answers.”
Alone, amongst stacks, tombs, volumes and scrolls. A young woman with pale hair searched for the knowledge to unravel the secrets of this world until its thread found its way to hers. Earth. Yet, the answers did not come so easily and she was found by a Centaur and brought back to the surface where a little dog wiggled with delight and evening grew long.”
“Sleep now Lark, we will depart in the morning and I still need to sharpen my sword.”