Falling In Love...With A Library(Closed)

[Seleucus]

10th of Winter Seleucus' feathers of snow white hair fluttered in the evening wind. The evening was cold but clear, as was frequent in the winters of Lhavit. His own seasonal colouring had just settled into the new season as well, plum coloured arcs above hair the same hue as Leth on cold and clear winter nights. For the past few weeks he had only been getting adjusted to the city, and by far he had to say he absolutely loved it. The people, the culture, the cuisine, the crystalline architecture, and natural beauty of the apt named Diamond of Kalea. Not to mention, he thought, never since my Fall have I felt like I was so close to Leth that I could reach out and touch him. The very thought of living in a place where his people were known and could be seen without surprise was an astounding one, let alone that he was now living in the city of the Star Lady herself. However needs were beginning to confront him. Since arriving at the glittering city he had been slowly but surely chewing into his savings. My goal was to make enough money and accrue enough skill to magecraft one day, not spend myself into a ditch. Despite having converted his mizas to kina and now having a home and finding to places to eat when not being sustained by Leth, he knew his high horse would not be so high for long if he didn't find an occupation. That time would come soon, however this moonlit winter's evening was more suited for exploring Seleucus' new found home. As of yet he had mainly kept to markets and well lit inns, but tonight promised something else. He had heard tales of a library both beautiful and brimming with knowledge of all kinds that sat on Tenten Peak. It was called Bharani Library, and was renown for both it's architecture and the scrolls and tomes stored within. This is something I must see. It appealed both to his side of the aesthete and his parching thirst for knowledge. As he trudged across one the bridges leading to Tenten a restrained excitement permeated him. There was some portent fortune laying in wait for him at the Bharani, this he knew. After an, if not exactly arduous, but fairly lengthy climb he had arrived. In the distance he could spot the Dawn Tower and the Temple dedicated to Lord Leth's lover, Syna. These were not what drew his attention however, that was devoted wholly to the enormous edifice in front of him. It stretched so high above him that he felt as if by climbing the towers he could be back home in the heavens. This was no library this was a palace. And a beautiful palace at that, sweeping steps glittered in the moonlight as they stretched up to the imposing doors. Two guards of the city's famed Shinya stood at either side of the mighty thresh hold, in a way it was more imposing and awe inspiring the Gate at the edge of the city. For what felt like bells Seleucus simply stood, drinking it all in. Finally, managing to tear his eyes away as the cold began to nip uncomfortably at his extremities he climbed the steps . As he reached the top of the regal stairs Seleucus approached the Shinya. “May I gain entrance Sir?” The Shinya, a tall, well muscled man whose bald head was seemingly immune to cold, gazed piercingly at Seleucus for a moment before, with a barely perceptible nod, gesturing to the door. Seleucus walked reverently forward and pushed. The door, heavy and shining, swung inward with nary a groan nor sqeak, as Seleucus walked into the library it swung shut behind him. Almost instantly the rich odor of musty paper, old leather, parchment, and fresh ink hit his nostrils. The innards of the Library didn't disappoint either, softly glowing skyglass was inlaid everywhere. Any space not consumed by shelf after shelf of fabulous books was carved or sculpted or simply elegantly there full of importance. Here and there Seleucus spotted the occasional citizen though most people were robed in white. They must be the staff. For what have must have been at least a bell he simply wandered through the shelves and alcoves, caressing the spines of the books and admiring the wealth of scrolls. Eventually he crossed paths with one the white robed attendants, a middle aged woman. She asked if he was new to the place and he replied that he was, to which she offered a tour. Seleucus agreed with great haste and honest eagerness. They walked to and fro through the library, all the while the white robed attendant, called a Seeker as she explained, explained many things. The organization of the library, the purpose of Seekers, the library's history, and the undeniably strict lending policy. With each and every word Seleucus fell more and more in love with the place. It was amazing. Knowledge and beauty all bound inextricably together. Never before had he seen or even imagined something like this.

[Seleucus]

17th of Winter A week had passed, and every day within it had been spent at the library. Seleucus stalked up and down it's halls and corridors. While he had not yet contributed anything of note, and was therefor barred from taking things from the library he still read and read and read. Any moment not consumed by his blooming love for the writings within the building he spent studying the structure of the massive library. From doors to Basilica to shelves he had roamed as much as most Seekers would in month. As for Seekers he had dispensed with their help after the first few days. He was quick to learn of the organizational system and from that point on roamed by his own compass. Several times he became lost for more than a bell, but he always eventually found his way back to a familiar spot after all. [Today he was enveloped in a text on the history of world magic. It had drawn him well in, but not so far as to miss a flurry of activity near the main desk nearest the entrance. Several Seekers stood eying another put a small sign on the desk. “About time.” Seleucus heard one of them say as he drew closer. “Definitely. I've been tired of running around for two and filing enough for three.” said another. Soon enough though, all the running around that was needed caught up to the group. They scattered back amongst the books and shelves. Seleucus walked a few steps closer to the desk on which sat a small sign which concisely proclaimed; HELP WANTED Library Assistant needed Requirements; Familiarity with library, filing papers, and leading patrons through the establishment. Compensation; 4 kina per day. Unlimited access to Bharani Library's collection Inquire with Seekers Wasn't that just fantastic! Seleucus longed to spend time here, and now he could be payed to? Well if I can meet the requirements. On the morrow I will take it, if I think I can. Until then I need to learn this place to my best.

[Elysium]

Fingers pattered sharply against the surface of the smooth, oaken desk. It'd been a full cycle since they'd lost that expedition, yet the thought still worried at her conscious mind. Her eyes scanned the scroll laid before her in a hopeless search for legibility. Pouring over the thing, her eyes again danced across it's creased surface. Gnosis had shown it was pre-valterrian and yet she couldn't make fathom the meaning. Disgusted, she set it aside for another time. Shara stared dejectedly at the pallid wallpaper.

At certain bells she'd wander the library, golden eyes peering intently into the labyrinth. The Kelvic rose from her reclining position to wander. It was a restful activity for a wolf and helped to maintain the strict sense of regulation that wafted through the air. The Bharani Library was home to some of the most exclusive text in all of Mizahar. It warranted policing, and she was happy to oblige. Under her keen gaze, most patrons kept their noses a tad cleaner. Her pitch-colored locks fell sharply around the oval of her narrow jaw, fanning ever so vaguely with each padding movement.

Some of the younger members clustered around the front, where she'd erected the employment sign. Normally they'd not recruit out of rank, but the Seekers were not in any position to be choosy. Losing the expedition had not helped their numbers and the city tended to quiet come Winter. They'd had civilian Aides in the past. It was just a matter of interest and eligibility. One was not mutually exclusive to the other, she'd found. As if Eyris herself had been nodding along, she spied a likely looking prospect. The white hair and curling horns marked the gentlemen as an Ethaefal, clearly Lethborn given the hour.

The timbre of her androgynous voice lilted out to greet him. "I see you've noticed our bid for a new employee," she remarked dryly. "Your gaze lingers. Perhaps you might be interested?" An Ethaefal was certainly preferable to others who applied in years past. Share eyed him evenly, smoothing the front of her white robe.

[Seleucus]

The Ethaefal perked at a voice behind him. Slowly turning around he spied it's source. A dark haired woman, with a stark appearance, accentuated by her austere white robes that marked her a Seeker. She stood between two tall shelves, her shape illuminated by the soft, soothing illumination of the library. There was no doubt this woman was in charge, at least on some level. There was a powerful aura of fortitude that clung to her, a direct watchfulness in her gaze. Seleucus felt her eyes searching and for a moment felt almost hunted, but the feeling passed. “Yes, Mistress Seeker.” he dipped slightly in a gentle bow. “I have been here for but a short time but this library, well, it enthralls me.” The truth of Seleucus' words made themselves evident in the far-away and impassioned look that crept over his face, the expression of a stripling boy daydreaming of far off adventures and rescuing maidens. The horned man snapped back to the present, “It would be my pleasure, no, my honor to work in such a beautiful and prestigious place.” He sighed. “I do not know if I have the skills necessary, but I wish with all my heart to work here, and I would give myself to the task should I receive it.” Seleucus reached up pushing back a lock of snowy hair behind an opalescent ear. “I love these texts, and their place of housing, there is so much to learn! So much to see, to study, to examine. Only the most privileged of people should be allowed into these halls, but they stand open to even a wandering creature such as I.” He reached out to the sign as if to pull himself back to it by force of will. “You seem to be such a Seeker as the sign told me to find. May I inquire about a job?” A slight smile cracked at his lips.

[Elysium]

The man turned on a dime, startled by her silent approach. For a moment he simply observed. Shara's eyes were of molten gold, casting the level stare back at him. Something passed through his gaze like the lashing of a summer gale and subsided just as quickly. Was it fear, perhaps? The predator inside gave a lopsided grin. She however, maintained the neutral mask as he gathered himself. After a beat, the Ethaefal began to speak.

Unnervingly still, she hung upon the lilting cadence of his words; his voice hushed in the reverent tones of the library. The wolf was amused as he bent at the waist, unfailingly polite. That deference was appreciated but wholly unnecessary. He rhapsodized in speaking of the library, yet his countenance spoke louder still. He wore the throes of passion on his face, off in a land wholly and uniquely his own. A small smile crept across her flat affect, bring to life what had previously laid bare. Perhaps there was something to be said about this child of the moon. That would reveal itself with time.

Poetry however, was no substitute for a scholar's mind. He was in love, no doubt. The way he glazed at each description had said as much. As he stated his intent to work there, her smile faded back into the serious line. That took consideration. The lack of skills weren't a concern. He finished his pretty speech with a smile hanging from his lips. For a moment she let it hang there, unnerving silence taking hold.

"I would consider such a request if perhaps you might spare time for an interview." That would certainly be required. Bringing in outsiders of any variety prompted careful examination. The Lethborn seemed an appealing choice, but Shara was not deceived by appearances. After all, she hid a wolf within. With time his inner workings would come to light. Time and of course, a bit of prodding. "If you would agree, we can do so now or if it suits you, do so at a later time." The choice was placed squarely in his lap.

She watched and waited.

[Seleucus]

A faint look of surprise briefly blossomed across his face, not shock or stunned senselessness, just a mild disruption in the expected. I did not think it would be this easy to gain audience, thought Seleucus. He had envisioned some long complicated quest or else a dragging bureaucratic process, rife with forms and paperwork. This strikingly assertive yet calm woman with black hair held out the offer in her hand, eyes ever observant trained unblinkingly on him. A part of Seleucus wanted to shout yes and thank her profusely, but he quickly subdued the impulse and let it pass. This woman isn't a Seeker for nothing, nor any offer proffered without strings attached, however hidden they may be. There was something about the woman that was, not suspicious to be sure, but that cautioned one into though. Leth was not the god of thought for nothing, and Seleucus his child for a reason. Mulling it over for a moment Seleucus came to his answer. “If it does not impose on your business I will happily take your offer now.” Seleucus said, his face now a thoughtful and reflective visage, almost meditative. It was an expression much more easily associated with Ethaefal than throes of passion or childish surprise. He looked back at the patiently waiting woman with cool, clear eyes. “I am at your disposal, Mistress Seeker.”

[Elysium]

The moon child seemed momentarily awash with surprise, which pleased her. Perhaps he had some unmet expectation. Those preconceptions were typical when it came to the Seekers. The servants of Eyris seemed very pedantic to Lhavit's rank and file, a stodgy group of hieratical paper pushers. Shara met this thought with a secret smile, thinking of truly wrong they were. They were truly adventurers of the mind, hopeless romantics lost in ancient fantasy. But to comprehend that, you had to be that. There was no other way.

His eagerness again spoke of his lethborn nature, for as introspective as the moon god was, he was not without impulse or haste. Syna's continued existence was a testament to that. The offer seemed to churn in his mind. She could tell by the flit and flicker of his expressions. They were subtle and yet cohesive. Perhaps he sought the catch, as all cynics do. That too, attributed to the secret smile. Cynicism was derived from the desire to known in truth, without the confines of denial. It was double-edged in reality.

At his acceptance, she gestured for him to follow and padded off. Down the rabbit hole they went, hall to corridor back to hall until they arrived at her office.

Upon crossing the threshold, he’d notice the compulsive neatness of her shelving. Shara’s desk by contrast, looked as if a hurricane recently struck. A mass of paperwork and relic all but obscured the smooth maple surface, overflowing from end to end. Direct and deliberate, she assumed the seat opposite his, unflapped by the clutter. It was her den, after all. There was little to be ashamed of.

After a few ticks of impassive staring, her lips parted to speak. ”Two bodies have I, though both joined in one,” she began. ” The more still I stand, the quicker I run.” Her gaze was filled with mirth. ”What am I?” The Seekers had their own way of doing things, for certain.

[Seleucus]

The Seeker turned, leading him into the depths of the library. Around a bend in a corridor she walked and Seleucus had to quicken his pace to keep up, despite his longer legs. The woman in white was brusque to be sure, but not in a rude manner, just that of someone with a full plate and a sharp wit. Through the passage she led him, past illuminating skyglass inlays, they glistened a translucent pale blue. After a couple of chimes they came to a door, into which the Seeker slipped, lithe and decisive. Seleucus entered behind her ducking slightly to ensure his plum horns did not scrape the doorway. Glancing around he saw a room of almost obsessive neatness. Books and scroll filed neatly into shelves, quills organized by the ink pots, the floor bare of the slightest speck. Everything in the room spoke of methodical habits and an organized inhabitant, that is except for the desk. A sparse and simple construct of maple, it's surface was a jungle of objects. Paper piled upon paper with tomes and unraveled scrolls heaped over maps and pamphlets, all punctuated by the occasional arcane and antique looking artifact. The woman settled into the chair behind what was most likely her desk. She looked at him, direct as ever and obviously unembarrassed about the mess of her desk. For a moment a silence settled over the office, then the Seeker spoke,”Two bodies have I, though both joined in one, The more still I stand, the quicker I run. What am I?” A riddle? Seleucus had not expected this. But then, many expectations had been rendered false today. The Ethaefal stood silent for a moment, and then dived deep into the riddle. His face becoming a pond, cool and reflective, shining with the glow of the moon. Two bodies, two bodies...What has two bodies? The Akalak had two souls, but one body; Pycon notorious shifters, but only one actual body. Hmmm, the woman is no pushover, as expected for a Seeker. Deeper he sank into the recesses of his mind. Wait, amongst the skies Syna and Leth were referred to as the two celestial bodies! It certainly made sense for a Lhavitian to riddle about the Sunqueen and Moonking, so closely entwined they were as to be considered one being. The rest of the riddle would be of importance too. The more I stand still, the quicker I run. Seleucus esteemed logic, but this was tricky. Running, running, running. Neither Leth nor Syna are the type to be running, however boisterous the Day Lady is. In what sense do they run? Did the Seeker refer to their journey through the sky? No, no that didn't seem right. What ran? Children, deer, rivers...rivers, now why did that seem to fit? The faintest of ripples passed upon the Lethborn's face. What slipped like a river, what stood still yet sped up? A river not of water, but of a goddess, of Tanroa! The prospective employee hoped with all his heart he was right. Better to hazard a guest than not at all. “Seeker, I have come to an answer to your riddle.” proclaimed the young man, “Kept by Lord Leth and his lover Syna runs Tanroa's river, you are time, the day.” An expression both wary and hopeful broke his cool and collected visage. “Night and day twined together both part of the current of time, of the days endless, one after another.” He inclined his head in respect to the formidable Seeker reclined on her throne of a desk chair. “I hope my answer satisfies.”

[Elysium]

The young man was suddenly entrenched in thought. The proverbial cogs sprang to life and a small crease appeared between his eyes as he plodded on the question. Patiently, she sat. It wouldn't do to prod at him, so deep in concentration. The wolf wouldn't dream of it. Deeper he sank, truly in thought. Shara's lips twitched at the elegance of it all. Her eyes never left his face, studying the lines that followed.

After a time he seemed adequately prepared to respond. He announced his triumph over the question. Shara arched a patient yet amused brow. His answer came, wordy and filled with conjecture. A smile broke out in earnest and her initial response came in the form of a tinkling little laugh. She shook her head as he inclined his. "Spoken as a true scholar," the woman replied. "However, the answer was simply... An hourglass." Her amusement was kind, the corner of her eyes wrinkling in mirth.

"You are indeed wise but you read too deeply into the question, as a thinking mind is wont to do," she continued. "Still, the answer satisfies. An hourglass is but a token example of Tanroa's River." Her face fell back into a more speculative expression. Again, she evaluated him. Seleucus seemed studious, thoughtful. Perhaps a bit naive, but all children were. His mind would grow in their service, even as an Aide. Finally satisfied, her lips again parted to speak.

"You'll do," she said dryly. Her smile betrayed the implied humor. "I've half a mind to torture you with a few more riddles, but sadism is not my standard fare." Shara began fishing at the massive pile before her, parchment and paper alike shuffling against one another in an orgy of sound. "Here," she said, producing a sizable looking packet. "We'll just need your information." Questions first, paper last. Such was the life of a clever librarian.

[Seleucus]

As the words of his failure fell from the Seeker's lips, so did Seleucus' face. It lasted only a moment, before he steeled himself, regaining composure. Then, with the smile on her face, sharp and wild, and words of acceptance, all composure was lost. A smile broke over the Ethaefal's face and a blush rose in his cheeks. It was a strange thing, a blushing Ethaefal. A strange silvery-pink flush crept over his cheeks and neck. He was truly pleased, and his gratitude spilled across his face in a brief flood. Quickly, not wanting to seem more childish then he already had he cleared his expression, “Thank you, Lady Seeker. I am very grateful. I shall do my best.” The woman rummage through the papers on her desk, a veritable Tenten Peak of parchment. Paper yellowed and brittle was pushed off sheets white as new fallen snow. After a few beats the Seeker pulled out a collection of papers, handing it to Seleucus and informing him of their purpose. The Ethaefal looked through them, a few typical sheets describing job requirements and pay, another form that asked for age, gender, race, and the like. Taking one of the several quills strewn about the desk and dipping it in ink, he filled them out in thin, spiky handwriting. Legible and clear, though not the prettiest of types. The next page asked for his living space, he added in the words 'Solar Wind Apartments'. Finally he reached the last page, a block of text with a space for signature and thumb print. It read, The Oath Of Bharani I vow, in the names of Zintila and Eyris to protect and serve their great library. I shall illuminate the knowledge of ages, and instill wisdom into myself and all who pass through the great doors. I shall work to my fullest, and serve my greatest potential. I shall preserve and protect the knowledge stored within these towers. I am hereby devoted to,and a part of the Great Library of Bharani. X______________________________ The words sunk heavy in his mind, but he needed no prompting. He took his quill and signed, then in traditional contract form, pricked his thumb with the quill. A drop of thick silvered blood welled up, like liquid moonlight. Seleucus pressed his finger into the paper, leaving a glistening thumbprint in it's wake. Touching the paper there was a dazzling flash of light, the colour of the moon. The ink was left dry and his print a muted metallic grey. He repeated this process with his thumb, and the wound was turned into a day old scab. Looking into the Seeker's eyes with a strong, focused look, “I am ready to serve.”