The Librarian of Sahova
By The Player of Torc Ironwood
By The Player of Torc Ironwood
1st of Spring, 132 AV
Silence was the death mask of Sahova, it was worn with a cold chill and determination. For many cities the first day of spring brought celebration, for the winter was over and crops could be planted once again. For cities other than Sahova, children would play in the streets and young men and ladies would once again appear in the boulevards with colorfully clothing and a hope to catch someone’s eye. Yet for Sahova the first day of spring was a dead as a week old fisherman’s catch.
For many Sahova was the necropolis, a city that housed the undead wizards of original volunteers. For one man in Sahova, it was a prison a place where the Oath prevents escape and only his daily toil gave him purpose. Archwizard Zarik Mashaen sat in his dark lab looking over dusty texts. The body that the Archwizard currently used was beginning to decay, flesh and fat hung loosely over the small amounts of muscle still attached to the bony frame. The bodies face, once of a young man with dark brown hair and a groomed goatee, was only still attached because of a few bits of sinew. The flesh under the eyes had dropped enough that one could see the under layer of the eye lid and eyeball. Muscle had begun to accumulate about the eyebrows making Zarik look like some Isurian without the bone ridges. The once groomed goatee has no approaching a full beard as the hair of a dead body continued to grow even in death.
Yet even with such a grotesque vessel, the Archwizard knew that he had several more days of functionality within it. No his concern was the crumbling page before him. The pre-Valterrian text on Glyphing was well used, and sadly unless he took some of his apprentices away from research to copy the text, it would one day be destroyed. The Archwizard stopped moving as the thought on the subject. Hours went by as the body stood stock still, only soft flickering glow from the arcane globes gave any hint of movement due to the shadow play. Finally, Zarik closed the tome and placed a thin reed hand over his amulet. The amulet was made from a large piece of amber set in silver. Zarik actived the glyph carved under the amber and a soft bronze glow started to appear. The amber had become like a candle shedding bronze light threw the bony fingers. Zarik had sent out his summons for a full assembly.
Zarik stood hearing the muscle making a rasping sound as he realized that he hadn’t stood up in four days. Zarik knew that the amount of physical movement would likely force him to choose another body after the assembly. The Archwizard began to shamble his way to the closest classroom. The body’s legs muscles weren’t up for a full walk and even if they were it was likely the jog of the pace would dislodge some of the organs pooling about the belly. As Zarik opened the door he saw the guard golem that was always set across from his room. “Golem carry me to observation classroom!” Zarik’s voice cracked several times and the rich voice that body once had was broken when several muscles connected to the voice box had snapped.
The Golem picked up the master with its shield arm. The shield scooped up the body nicely allowing Zarik’s body to be cradled by the cold metal. Whirling gears and metal hitting stone filled the corridor as the golem carried its master to the classroom. Only the metal beast had six arms and two legs. Most of the arms ended with cruel looking bladed weapons, Zarik’s had insisted one arm be equipped with a round shield so that magickal attacks could be blocked. The glyphing engraved on the shield held several wardings against the four elements, as well as, acid. Still spikes adorned the outside of the shield so that golem could inflict damage even while defending its charge.
The walk through the hallways towards the classroom, slowly began to pick up with more foot traffic. Apprentices, as well as journey men in their respect fields of study saw the golem and shifted out of the way. Zarik looked over the lot of them, knowing that one of them would be chosen for the honor that he was planning.
The observation classroom was large enough for about three-fourths of the population of Sahova to assemble in it. The classroom was used mainly for the dissection of monsters found after the Valterrian. Dissections were often done when a monster seemed to be more powerful than some of the golems. Wizards would go over the anatomy trying to find answers on how the creature work and how to better make their own creations. Thankfully the classroom hadn’t been used in the past several seasons.
A student opened the door prior to the golem smashing it in, “Archwizard.” The student’s body was a wisp of a girl. Yet when the Archwizard looked down at the student a keen mind with decades of experience showed itself behind the bodies eyes. Zarik nodded, it was perhaps more then she deserved, but a season’s worth of recognition amongst her classmates would help stir up competition. The golem entered the classroom and walked over to the dissection table. Slowly it slid the Archwizard off its shield and then took up a guard position at the base of the table.
Zarik slowly pulled his legs and body into a cross legged position and he waited. Slowly, the masters of Sahova, Zarik’s own apprentices came in. Zarik could identify most of their bodies to names. Some he had to look at their amulets and clothes to remember who was inside the body. “Gentlemen and Ladies, I have called the summons today to address a problem that Sahova faces. Though are knowledge of animation continues to grow and our research continues on, we know face the problem of our knowledge being destroyed by time. Our books are growing aged, the paper is decaying just like our bodies, and we don’t have time to replace all of them.” Several whispers of objection began from the assembled mages.
“Hold!” Zarik command purely with his voice, “Yes we have created scribing golems that copy a page perfectly, and when we need a book to be copied we simply set it in front of the golem and have it in a few days, but what we don’t have is a scholar dedicated to the care and sorting of our accumulated knowledge. From this day forth it will be our collective go to create a library within the vault and create a artifact using animation to collectively catalogue and cross reference all our knowledge.” The masters stood in quiet awe. The project that Zarik was asking for hadn’t been attempted since before the Valterrian.
“We have the bones of all the original volunteers and any apprentices we have accepted. Using the skull of the person we choose, we will trap their soul within it. The skull will then become a conduct for several things. One I want a webbing spell to connect all the books we place in the library to the skull. It will know the condition, the location, and knowledge held within every book, scroll and tome we set inside the library.” Zarik was staring directly at the Webbing Master, and as the Archwizard finished the look of utter terror was on the Masters face. The webbing spell that the Archwizard was asking for wasn’t just large, but it needed to be dynamic so that new books and research could be added to it.
“Two the soul will be connected to the skull. Whoever it is we will force them to become a ghost. However, the soul will only be allowed to Materialize, I want to be sure that it can’t posses someone and use our knowledge against us.” Zarik knew that research into this subject alone would likely take several years to complete and would likely tie Malediction and Animation together.
“Lastly the artifact will have a limited form of Projection, it will be able to pick up books and other objects within the library, and then give them to a scribe golem to repair.” Zarik looked at the Master of Magecraft, “I assume you realize that investing this kind of energy, we will need to make sure the skull won’t break.” The Master of Magecraft bowed his head while chewing his lip.
Zarik allowed the assembled mages to think over the goal he had given them. Whoever was chosen for the task could very well be a powerful ally. Hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge stored in on being and if it the soul was friendly to the master, shivers a power went down many of the Masters backs. They knew and agreed with the Archwizard, this artifact wouldn’t just protect them from losing knowledge, but would almost stop long hours of searching for and threw manuscripts for arcane knowledge.
“Go and gather as many students as you can. I will announce the new position of power today, so that apprentices and journeymen alike can began the politics of apply for it.” Smiles can across all the Masters. Zarik knew that whoever won the position it was likely that their loyalty would be bought by those around him, but in the end that was Sahova.
--~--
Seth Gowan was one of the most recent additions to Sahova. 12 years ago he had come to Sahova looking for knowledge in animation, he had been a merchant orginially and for the most part would have rather had nothing to do with magic. He was a second generation merchant after the Valterrian. In the early days, people were scattered, terrified of the monsters outside the city walls, and had little in the way of tradeable goods. His grandfather told stories of how as a boy he had learned the sword and plow just to farm food. Monster of imaginable horror would kill livestock, take children working in the fields, even steal into a village and spread death from house to house. Seth’s father had been a rare man, he had lead small caravan’s with armed farmers to nearby villages. The journey’s had been rife with dangers and the stuff heads located in the family mansion show many of the beasts he had to slay just to keep foodstuffs and salt to local villages. Slowly, pockets of areas became clear to travel, the monsters learning to fear man and their steel weapons. Seth’s father had built a small wagon trade center and had kept a great deal of people alive.
As Seth grew up, the merchant roads became better defended and organized, and the family moved to Zeltiva to start working with the Shipyards. Seth remembered the wonderful times that he and his father had. Memory games were played as well as math games to strengthen his mental abilities. Slowly Seth grew with his brother and sisters into a powerful merchant family. Without Seth’s family the iron, food, and stone that the city needed wouldn’t get there over land, and the waters often still had deep ocean monsters yet to be killed. Even though Seth was the oldest, his sister Alis was the true leader of the family. At time her ruthlessness and planning of almost every detail scared Seth. He never questioned Alis’ loyalty, it was to her family and if anyone threatened them only the gods could help them, still did she have to take so much glee from their destruction?
So when Alis told Seth he was to marry a Captain’s daughter, he never said a word, for even if Seth didn’t love the woman his family would become more powerful and he could spend most of his time on wagons. However, the day that he met his bride to be, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Isabel was beautiful with her long brown hair and dark chocolate eyes. She moved with a grace and stance that reminded Seth of a mouse, and yet in her eyes he saw love and a shyness that mirrored his own. For Seth, it was intoxicating, Isabel brought a sense of protector to Seth along with a softness that was sorely missed in his sister. It was as if the world had created a beauty that was solely his, and he would do whatever it took to protect it.
The yearlong engagement only brought Isabel and Seth closer, after long talks he found her innocence in business refreshing. In a way she wanted what Seth wanted, a life outside of their work, something sacred in the home that couldn’t be touched by work or the world. Seth continued falling in love with Isabel and so did she. They were married and had a son.
It was the three years after their marriage that Alis asked him to go and make contact with a village that had stopped sending goods. He could still remember the day that he left. He awoke to see Isabel sleeping by his side, her long brown hair fell across her face. Olive skin from working in the garden, seemed to glow in the mornings light. The soft cotton sheets melted into her soft skin of her bare arms. Slowly, he cleared her hair from Isabel’s face, sweeping it behind her small ear. As his hand touched her shoulder, her eyes opened looking at him and then a smile crossed her lips. The simple smile brought pleasure and peace into his being. Love flooded his mind and he softly kissed Isabel’s lips. As he closed his eyes he could hear he sons footsteps running around the floor boards to their room. Smiling as he ended the kiss, he waited till she opened her eyes, to tell her. “Seems our son doesn’t want a sibling this morning.” With a laugh that was more music to his ears, Isabel simply hugged him as they waited for Thomas to burst in and start asking about breakfast.
Held in that embrace Seth heard Isabel speak, “Don’t go, I have a bad feeling that something will happen this trip.” Both Seth and Isabel knew that he had to go, but for on moment he wanted to stay. That day he left saying goodbye to his wife and child, not knowing that it would be his last time seeing them.
While Seth was out on the trip, a plague had struck Zeltiva killing many people, and as Seth negotiated new prices for food and wares to Zeltiva, his family laid in their beds gasping for air. By the time he finally arrived back at Zeltiva the city flew the flag of plague, and stopped people from coming in. Weeks went by as Seth waited for the city to open its gates once again. When they did so, he ran to his house finding that the plague bearers had taken his family away to be burned. Though the tragedy had effect some of his other family members Alis’ had been able to protect most of them. Seth felt horrible and a drift, nothing mattered and Seth slowly began to hate everything about him. In quiet desperation Seth hatched a plan, he began to sell all his belongs and focus on accumulating magical knowledge, as well as, wealth. Alis thought that her brother had finally gotten over the death of his family, or that in work he was seeking to avoid that hurt, either way she used him to bring more wealth into the family then she ever thought was possible.
It was close to autumn when trading began to close down that Seth approached Alis, he asked her to help him charter a ship to the island of Sahova. He had made enough money to buy materials that they often trade for, and he told that he wanted to set a formal agreement between the family and the island of research. Alis’ greed shown and she agreed. As Seth arrived on the island he was able to negotiate a contract for his family and for himself. He sold himself into apprenticeship and made sure that the contract to his family would be to both parties mutual benefit.
Years rolled by as Seth learned magic at the hands of the undead. It had been 20 years since the announcement of the librarian position. Tests had been devised and many students had tested for it. There were only a few candidates left, and Seth had somehow made it to the final stages. It had seemed his memory and training as a merchant had succeed where many hadn’t, today was the final test for the position and if Seth should pass he would have access to the knowledge to bring his family back to life.
--~--
Zarik allowed smile to come to his body. The last test had been constructed, and the ten candidates would finally be brought down to one. Zarik review the construction, he had recently replaced his body and felt the youthfully strength that this body had before it died. For a being that had lived for hundred and some years, it always felt strange switching to a new body. Learning to walk and move with grace was a hassle, but necessary for several tasks that needed to be done. Zarik looked over the silk web that was the final test. Each knot where the strings interconnected were strong and didn’t slip. The strands connected to walls were well placed, and viewing the power that displayed over the web, he nodded. “Bring in the candidates.” The Archwizard spoke to no one in particular, but then again he had no doubt that his orders would be followed.
As Zarik waited, he reviewed the what had happened since his proclamation. The Master of Maledication was the first to finish his piece of the problem. The skull of the student would have glyphs etched in acid placed on his skull. Gold, silver, and lead would be placed and worked into the skull to create more glyphs and anchor points for the spells that were to be casted. The desecration to the skull would keep the soul of the student anchored to this world, and with alter spells the soul would only be able to Materialize.
The Master of Magecrafting was able to find the right ingredients and glyphs that would focus a small amount of Projection through the object. Harder to find and create were the magical bars of metal whose essence would be worked into the skull to harden it beyond even the best of temper steel or cut diamond. The sheer amount had taken half a decade to create in the forges of Sahova. Even the preparation of the casting chamber was as complete as possible.
No it had taken 20 years for the Master of Webbing to figure out how to cast a dynamic web. Never had anyone asked someone to have a web continue to grow, without someone to monitor it, but the answer had come in an almost comical way. The Master had constructed a large obsidian spider that wove silver threads as lines of the spell. Animation of the spider had allowed it to contain its own Djed and used it to expand the web. The test that had been created was the first testing of the creature and it had performed gloriously.
As the candidates came in Zarik removed all emotion on his face. “Pupils here is your final test. Before you is a large casting in the form of a web. Each knot is a connection point of knowledge and subject.” Zarik waved his hand to a pedestal with golden shears. “The shears are the only way to cut a knot, as you run your hands over the knots you will find the knowledge contained within.” Looking at the web there were hundreds of knots. “You are to cut the useless knots and leave most accurate ones intact. If you cut the wrong knot the spider here,” Zarik smiled at the stone creation, “Will cut off your arm, and you will have to wait till another body is assigned to you to take the test. If you should happen to cut the correct knots the web will glow and become golden. The position will go to student whoever completes the test first. You have my leave to spend all your time on this project.” And with that Zarik left the confused students to their task. It might take several years for the students to learn from their mistakes but Sahova was close to claiming its librarian.
--~--
Seth had moved into the testing chamber, a small oaken work desk, a sleeping pallet and cushion had been setup in the room by him. He sat at the desk and wrote the experiences that the most recent knot he had touched. Each knot contained basic magical knowledge presented in different contexts, but as Seth study the knots longer and longer he began to realize that each had small nuisances that held a small amount of different knowledge. He had recognized only two knots that contained the exact same knowledge in the months of study. As he got up, his body cracked and popped he stood up, going over to the web he saw the black obsidian spider watch him intently.
“Don’t worry Oliver, I won’t be cutting today.” He didn’t know why he had named the thing that had already taken severed two arms from other students, but living next to a thing one tends to began to recognize it. Seth touched a knot, and a sort of vibration began within his mind. Words hummed through him, and he a sense of what they meant drifted to him. It was like fog and as he stood there listening Oliver came up to the web and as he slowly started to climb it Seth felt fear strike a cold note down his being.
Seth had done nothing to upset the rules that were laid down by the Archwizard. As Oliver moved slowly approaching Seth face he felt the cold stone press against his forehead. A long black leg started to approach Seth other arm, white ichor began to sweat out of Seth’s skin. The leg had been cut from obsidian and its sharp inner edge had been used to cut the offending arms and hands of the students who choose wrong. Softly the leg touched Seth’s other arm and brought it to another knot. As Seth’s hand touched the knot another bloom of music hummed throughout his mind. Though they complimented each other they were two distinct tunes.
Seth was taken back. Was the answer to the test, not in the knowledge but in the music of the web? He would have never suspected, what was perhaps even stranger was that it was Oliver that showed him. Amazed he took a gulp of air, though he didn’t need it. “Oliver, was this, what you wanted to show me?”
Oliver’s legs began to puck the web sending waves of music throughout his mind. The waves pulsed and hum and a single word came through, “Yes.” The shock was so great that Seth pushed away from the web, Oliver had communicated. His mind had simply stopped working, and as Seth walked back to his cushion to sit, Oliver came off the web and followed him. Seth sat down and the stone spider the size of a large dog went next to Seth. Not thinking Seth placed his hand on the spider and softly ran his hand down the cold stone of its back. Clicks of legs on the floor, sounded somehow content, as Seth continued.
Weeks went by, Seth and Oliver began to develop a relationship as the web’s music sung more brightly within Seth’s mind. Each knot wasn’t just a placement of a specific knowledge, but to Oliver each knot contained choir that gave him voice. Strangely some of the notes on the web weren’t as sweet, and Oliver rarely used them to talk. As Seth pondered what these knots and what would happen to Oliver after the test was complete, the door to the chamber opened in a load bang.
“Ha! Seth you poor fool, still trying to figure it out! Well you have failed.” Lungas said. The body that he occupied was once handsome and young, something that Lungas always choose in his bodies. His pride in looks hadn’t diminished in the years that he had been serving in Sahova. In fact many apprentices whisper it was because of that pride that Lungas had advanced to Master.
As Oliver saw Lungas he skittered across the floor to the web. Sharp pointed legs creating pit marks into the floor. Lungas picked up the golden shears and walked up to the web. Picking out a piece of paper, he reviewed his notes and sliced one of the knots. As the knot was cut Seth realized it was one of the ones that sounded ill in his mind. Lungas laughed in the face of Oliver. “See Seth you fool! I have figured it out, soon I will be the Librarian.” With what appeared to be mad abandon Lungas began cutting knots all over the web.
Seth stood in horror, every knot that Lungas had cut was one of discord within Olivers voice. He began to fear that he had waited too long, that Lungas would view Oliver not as a being, but just another thing to control. “Oh how have I failed… can you forgive me now.” Seth whispered. He had let down Isabel and Thomas, now he would never be able to see them again. He had let down Oliver, the poor creature would be broken as Lungas cut the knots like crazied drunkard. And then Lungas cut a knot he shouldn’t have.
Seth stood up in surprise, had it really happened? Lungas was still laughing waiting for the web to glow as if it was golden. As Seth looked at Oliver he saw the tale tell signs that the spider was ready to strike. It had began to climb the web, and Lungas laughter began to die. His expression of pure joy and victory began to turn to self doubt. “No, No, my calculations were perfect. I cut all the correct knots.” His eyes kept darting back between the web and his notes. Seth understood the confusion, the knot that was supposed to be cut was but one junction away.
A cry of horror and defeat happened as Oliver used his legs to slice the Lungas arm. Black legs like scythes came down upon Lungas, and like a sword it tore through Lungas flesh above the elbow. White ichor splashed across the floor and the limb feel to the ground. Lungas stuffed the severed limb into his shirt, as a small whimper came from his lips. As he looked at the web, it began to shift and mend itself, and with a cry of rage Lungas picked himself up and scrambled out of the room. Seth went over to Oliver, placing a hand on the spiders head he spoke, “Well my friend, if you are ready, lets finish this task.”
As Seth picked up the shears, Oliver scrambled over the web. Softly their foreheads met, and Seth placed his hand on the center knot to better ‘hear’ Oliver’s mind. Like a bard playing the lute Oliver used his long back legs to pluck the strings on his web. As music played within Seth, he began to see the knots that were blocking Oliver’s harmony. Snip the first knot was cut and Oliver’s mind became joyous, the harmony came clearer to Seth and he set to work releasing Oliver’s mind.
--~--
Zarik’s concentration was broken from the knock at his quarter door. Placing down the delicate instruments so that his experiment wasn’t ruin, he called out. “Fool! This better be important or I will cage your soul for a hundred years!” The door opened and before it stood Lector Qiao. Zarik’s body tensed, whatever news that Lector had was important and he knew better then to interrupt his Master’s work.
Lector walked into the room wearing an elder woman’s body. The woman had probably died from one of the many plagues that swept through the world, judging by the bodies sores and boils. Still a body was a body and Lector cared little of what it looked like, in this Zarik agreed. “A candidate has been passed the test.”
Lector had spoke like it was another thing on a long list, instead of the completion of years of work. Zarik smiled, finally everything had was set and Lungas had passed the final test. Little did the others know that Zarik had sent a book of advance mathematics to Lungas the week before, he knew that the apprentice would figure out the calculations necessary to find the answer. Zarik nodded and left his workbench walking down the corridors with Lector. How many of the other Master’s tried to guide the candidates into passing the tests? Zarik knew of at least five others that had received advice on the final test, but that was the politics of Sahova. One masters gain, was another downfall, and to have strings attached to the Librarian prior to the casting was crucial to their power bases. Hence the reason that Zarik had interfered, by giving the book to Lungas, with the Librarian firmly under his control, he could punish the Masters even more if they stepped out of line.
As they approached the testing room, students crowed the hallway. Bets on who had won the powerful position were about to be settled, and after ten years some of the bets would shatter students and make others wealthy with magecrafted implements. Lector opened the door to allow the masters to enter the testing room. Lector left the door open knowing that at least the students wouldn’t have to cast spells to hear the name.
Where the great web had stood, now there was a man size bundle on the floor rocking back and forth. At the completion of the test, the web had collapsed on to the ‘winner’ sealing him in, and making sure that no other could claim the prize. The great black spider had broken with its task completed, and from within hundreds of spiders the size of a coin now crawled over the bundle. Zarik smiled in anticipation, as Lector went over to the web casting and lifted up the webbing about the face. “Name?” Lector asked.
With a bewildered look the body spoke, “Seth Gowan.”
Zarik’s smile wiped from his face. Who was Seth Gowan and what had happened to Lungas? No Masters had even talked about a Seth, and from the gasps and whispers outside Seth hadn’t been one of the top candidates in the betting circles. Zarik turned to the Master’s looking for some sort of recognition, some form of triumphant over others, and there was nothing. Who was the Nuit?!
Lector looked up at the Archwizard, “Your orders?”
Zarik had no choice in the matter, “Make ready, by the end of the year, we will have a Librarian!” A cheer arose from the students assembled in the hallways, and as the Archwizard faced the Master’s to make sure their preparations would go without a problem, Lector bent the bodie’s head once more to Seth.
“Good job, my boy.”
--~--
Seth awoken in his bed, and smiled as the warmth spread through his limbs. “Hmmmmmmmm…” He felt the warmth under the cotton sheets and heavy quilt blanket, softly a small hand placed itself on his cheek.
“Morning love, I was afraid that Thomas would awake before you.” Said a voice smooth as honey and just as bright.
Seth’s eyes burst open and as he stood up in bed he realized that he was back in Zeltiva with Isabel in front of him. “Isabel! What are you doing here?”
A burst of honey laughter rung out from Seth’s wife, her bosom moved under her shift as laid on her back looking at her husband. “Where do you think I sleep? Certainly not in the neighbors bedroom, besides after being gone for so long why wouldn’t I want to spend the night with the man I love.” Slowly she sat up in bed and kissed Seth upon his lips.
It felt just like Seth remembered, and with the kiss Seth began to think that last 25 years had been just a bad dream. Slowly he wrapped his arms around his wife and brought his body close to hers. “YUCK!” a voice from behind Seth said.
Breaking the kiss, Seth turned to see his beautiful boy making a face at him and his wife. He began to laugh with pure joy, as his son jumped into bed with him, hugging him with all of his little might. Seth had his family back and for the first time since he could remember he felt whole. Slowly, his wife slide out of bed and spoke, “Alright, who is hungry for flat cakes?”
Thomas jumped on the bed saying, “Me!” over and over again. Seth tackled his son, using his fingers to tickle him until his face was near blue. By that time his wife had put on a robe and was slipping out of the room. Smacking his son’s behind in a playful manner, he spoke, “Go on unless you want to watch me shave again.” Thomas nodded at shaving and sat at the bed as his father went over to the nightstand to lather up. Thomas smiled as he looked at his son in the mirror, his son watching him as the soaped up his beard and bringing the razor to his chin.
“So what did you do while I was gone on business?” Seth scrapped the razor under his chin, feeling the whiskers part.
“I don’t remember much, I played a lot and went to Alis’ for lessons. For a while I got very sick.” Seth stopped suddenly cutting his face with the razor. “Momma was sick too, it was horrible Daddy. I couldn’t breathe, Auntie Alis came over, she made some lemon curd for me and mommy. Except it wasn’t sweet like mommy makes, it was very bitter and as she fed us it, she said that it would make us better. She was crying, Daddy, I don’t think I have ever seen her cry before that. Not even when that horse broke her foot! After, I ate that bad tasting curd, I went to sleep and woke up all better. I raced to find mommy and she was crying to, but I made her smile and we have been waiting till you returned home.”
As Seth looked into the mirror he noticed that instead of blood coming from the cut, white ichor began to spill into the wash basin. Splashing water onto his face to make sure that it wasn’t soap, the cut continued to run white. “Mommy says you can’t stay long, but there might be a chance we can come with you. Can we Daddy?” As Seth turned to his son, he felt burning pain etching itself on his skull, he screamed as the burning brought him to his knees. He saw Thomas screaming for Isabel, saying that its time. Time? Time for what?
Just as the burning stop, Isabel came into the room with her robe on, “Thomas grab Daddy’s hand.” She said. “Seth, I had hoped they would have given us some more time. Listen, I need you to focus on Thomas and me.” As she finished Seth began to scream again. It was as if not metal was being poured on him, burning and binding to his bone. The home around them began to shake and tremble. Thomas started to cry and Seth wished he could stop screaming, so that he wouldn’t scare his son, light began to burn out of Seth’s chest. Slowly it was carving itself in a glyph of projection. The light began to transform into long lines of glyphs binding his soul and somehow deforming it. The pain slowly began to ease, and Isabel screamed as spiders began to cover Seth’s body eating the flesh. The spiders looked like smaller versions of Oliver. As Seth began to open his mouth, a large obisian spider flew into it, and it began to work its way down into his throat then up into Seth mind. Seth began to thrash, his wife and son hanging onto his hand for dear life. Seth’s home began to fade and Seth felt the first silver cord anchor itself within his skull. The spiders we began to form and Seth’s mind slowly began to take shape as the spider kept weaving.
Then Seth felt another harmony amongst the web being created. Isabel voice began to take shape, and then Thomas’s voice joined hers. If Seth could have shedded tears he would have, instead he held Isabel and Thomas in his mental grasp. Feeling them calm down, slowly the spider finished his creation, and Seth looked at the marvelous creation.
--~--
Zarik looked down at the gleaming skull, glyphs etches in metal were all around the skull, and the things jaw seemed to be streaks of gold and silver. Damage to the skull had happened and the front teeth of the skull had broken out leaving a comical gap. As the ritual casting had gone on, there had been weird energy pulses during it. However, after minor adjustments and the sacrifice of a few people, the casting had taken hold. Lector had picked up the skull and carried it to the library for the first testing of the Libriarian. Zarik and all the other Masters followed wanting to see what the great casting had produced. Slowly they brought the skull into the vault’s library. It had been prepared housing every original book that Sahova had.
Only Lector stepped into the great room that was the library. Lector placed the skull on a pedastial that stood in the middle of the room. Several scribe golems were placed around the room, and the rumbled as they felt Lector presence, moving in anticipation of work to be done. As Lector stepped away, small black spiders started to come out of the skull and move to books. Blue lights began to flash as a spider touched a book and connected the knowledge from the book to the skull.
Zarik and the Master stood watching, as flashes of blue light flew across their faces every few seconds, a feeling of quiet awe spread amongst them. Perhaps for an hour the blue light flashed and began to settle, such had been the knowledge accumulated by Sahova. As the last flash happened the blue light surrounding the skull slowly faded. Zarik stopped some of the Master from entering. Slowly the ghost of Seth Gowan began to appear. It flickered and at times looked no better than a hazy outline, slowly it began to take shape probably spending more energy then needed to form. In front of the skull, stood a tall skinny man in his mid thirties, his clothes had the cut of Zeltiva merchant, but his hair was combed back into a ponytail like a sailor. “Whe… Where… Where am I?”
Zarik stepped forward and smiled. “Libririan! Tell me where to find a book on fire glyphs used to purify Philtering!”
The ghost turned and a blank look appeared on his face. “Third shelf on the left, fourth row up, and five books in. The glyphs are found in twenty-six pages into the book.” Zarik smiled the first item was a success.
“Tell me what condition I will find the book in?” The ghosts face seemed to think about it and spoke in a clear tone.
“The book will need to be replaced in a few years, several pages have become mildew and torn. If you would like, I can instruct the Golems to replace the book and send you a copy, sir?” The Ghost said with precision and with a little bow. Zarik couldn’t help but smile. Excellent, the Archwizard thought, he shows independence and recognizes me as the Archwizard.
“No, if you can answer my final question, then I shall be done. I am mixing a brew of potent concentration to eat impurity out of a bar of gold, can you tell how that should be done?” Zarik waited, he watched the ghost, as if it was thumbing through books. It’s head seemed to be cocked as if listening to music.
“Sir, there are several text with references to gold and dissolving impurities. However, there exists no text which has both. I can provide copies of all the relevant materials in two weeks.” Zarik stopped dead in his tracks, had the Ghost not been able to compile the material and give him and answer. The Archwizard showed a grimace as the ghost repeated his answer. “That was not what I requested.” The Ghost shrugged and merely repeated his answer. Upset that the artifact had failed the third test he left and called the Master to conference.
Lector stood back waiting as the last of the masters left the library and looked at the Ghost. “Seth, what was the answer to the Archwizard’s question?” The ghost of Seth Gowan looked at Lector and smile, “Why it’s quite simple Lector, the answer is the following…” and Seth rattled off the answer without a problem, citing several things that would make the brew enough more powerful, all the while Lector stood smiling knowing that Seth was his.
--~--
It is said that if one ventures into the vault close to the library, there are times when the laughter of a small child or singing of a woman can be heard. The tales of the two ghosts have never been verified, but when the question is asked of the Librarian all he does is smile.
