Path of the Pioneers

The feeling of movement comes to a halt suddenly, and I remain at a standstill. The white light that clouded my vision before fades and dissipates, and I am left able to see my surrounds quite clearly.

I find myself sitting at a finely-carved wooden desk, polished well with some kind of varnish. A neat pile of parchment sits beside me, as well as an inkwell and quill. A small lantern casts a glow across the workspace. That isn’t to say that the rest of the area I’ve found myself in isn’t similarly well lit.

My focus shifts to the left, where I spot a few similar desks, mostly towards the walls. The floor of this place is made from a grayish white stone and a dark, almost black stone in a checkerboard pattern. The walls are a shiny black color, gilded with simple shapes here and there in an even manner.

Near the back wall is a larger desk, one with a clear view of the rest of the area. A small cart sits beside it, filled to the brim with books of varying shapes and size. A small bell sits on the desk itself, with a small sign placed at its side. I can’t quite make out the text written on it, but I assume that it’s something to the effect of “ring for service.”

More towards the center of the desk is a small box. Thin, tall, and rounded at the top. It seems to be made of wood, and has sharp, geometric patterns made of silver inlay. A silver ornament crowns the top of the box, a similar shape to the rest of the patterns. It fills the area with some kind of calm, subtle, yet rhythmic music. The melodies and instruments are like nothing I’ve heard, making me certain all the more that it’s likely a product of magic. Some kind of item that produces an illusion spell, no doubt.

An impressive trinket, nevertheless.

I look to my right, and see the floor begin to fan out around the walls, giving way to a far larger room. It’s circular in shape, with a large hole in the center occupying most of its space. In a ring around the opening in the floor is a metal safety railing about half my height, patterns filling the space between bars to make certain that it would be impossible for a normal-sized person to fit through any of the holes. Around about seven or eight meters above, the ceiling opens up, a hole in its center about the same size as the one in the floor.

My quick glance around is interrupted by my status window finally opening up in front of me, occupying my vision.

[Thou’rt come to the library betwixt hither and thither]

[Tomes aplenty saturate the shelves within, containing the answers to any question yet posed]

[Enhance the efficiency of a spell within thy repertoire and lessen its cost to thy mana through skillful execution]

My shoulders slump, and I sit back in the chair I’ve been deposited in. I can hardly be surprised anymore. The very first challenge that it presented to me was to survive in a desert for twenty-four hours, and now it makes the very humble request for me to make one of my spells cost less mana.

I’m quite familiar with the concept of improving the potency of a spell through superior execution, it’s one of the principles that my master taught me in the past. By learning a better way to utilize the skill you’ve been given, whether through shifting its casting process or some other means, its rank can increase by a sizeable amount.

However, I assume that it doesn’t mean for me to decrease the spell’s cost through simply ranking it up. Rather, it intends for me to decrease the cost by “skillful execution.”

I put a hand to my face, rubbing my eyes as I think. I’m exhausted, plain and simple. My mind has been active since the moment Adeline and I set out for another day of travel towards Tirsollain, without a second of time to rest since then.

“Sleep wouldn’t hurt, you know? But it might be a good idea to check your surroundings before you take the safety of this place for granted. Oh, and maybe you’ll find a better spot for sleeping!”

I nod, gratefully accepting Adeline’s advice. It would be prudent of me to look around more before letting myself slip off into slumber.

With that goal in mind, I slide my chair back, standing up and pushing it back in until it’s as flush with the desk as it can get. The best thing for me to do, I assume, is to check the front desk. A mite risky, perhaps, but it may just pay off.

The music grows louder as I approach the desk, although not to an uncomfortable volume. It confirms my belief that the box was the source of it. My eyes gravitate toward the sign, and I read the small bit of text scrawled on it.

“Please ring the bell if you need assistance -C”

I gingerly pick up the small hand bell beside the sign, picking it up and ringing it a few times. With each small toll, a pulse of light flows out gently from it. It takes me by surprise, but I manage to not get startled by it. Satisfied, I set the bell down where it was. Nothing seems to happen immediately, however.

I stand there for a few minutes before anything of note occurs, forcing my eyes open lest they lock shut and I fall asleep standing up. I slip up after a time, and I only realize I had closed my eyes when I’m woken by a voice coming from behind me.

“J-just one moment! Apologies for the wait, friend!”

I turn to face the source of the voice, and find an unusual figure not far. I almost question my sight upon seeing them.

Walking from the circular room towards me is a person covered shoulders to toes in red robes. White, scaled hands peek out from the sleeves of their robes. Their neck appears to be about twice as long as a human’s, with most of it concealed by the robes. It’s about twice as thick as their head -- Their head, which… Resembles some sort of white lizard’s, or a salamander’s?

I stand there, unmoving as they approach me. I’ve not heard of any manner of person resembling this one, but I hardly see any hostile intention in the way they move.

Before long, big, red eyes are staring down at me from across the desk, and I realize that they’re at least twice my height.

“Right.. What can I assist you with, friend?”

They seem to hold onto their S’s longer than normal, only enough to be noticeable. Between words, I spot small glimpses of a thin, forked tongue. Overall though, their voice is pleasant and soft.

“I, um..” Right, what was I supposed to be asking? “I’m.. New to this place -- I’ve never been. U-um.. Do you think you could explain what this place is to me? Err.. And if it isn’t rude to ask, who are you?”

They nod along to each and every thing I say, blinking a few times before speaking their piece. “First of all: welcome! My name is Cress, and you stand now in a humble library which I have taken to tending to.”

“Does it have a name? Or, erm.. W-where exactly is it located?”

They stop for a moment, and I watch as they close one eye. The other becomes coated in a light blue sheet of light, and they stare intensely at me. A moment longer, and they speak once again, “Apologies! It appears I can only divulge the locations of book genres, and nothing more… But I’m cheering you on in your trial, Candidate!”

“R-right, then.. Um.. Would it be possible for you to guide me in the direction of tomes on spellcasting?” At the very least, it would be a good idea to find some promising books that may lead me in the right direction. Better than nothing. Although I have my doubts that even a place as nice as this will have intricate books about magic.

Cress slaps their hands together, and smiles down at me, “Certainly, friend. Come with me!”