by B. D. Suever
Nera simply smiled and nodded as Ethan continued with his story. Her eyes began to grow heavy and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. The last thing she saw before falling asleep was Ethan and Trixxie talking to each other about their adventures.
“Whoa! That's the northern border?” Ethan asked. “It looks like the Great Wall of China.”
Ethan looked in both directions and couldn't see where the wall ended. The towers he could see housed numerous archers and guards that Nera told him were posted all along the wall. The wall itself looked impenetrable and Ethan could tell it had been standing for a very long time.
“How long did it take them to build this?” he asked.
Nera also gazed up at the wall. “Elder Mora told us it took three centuries to build. The massive gate alone took five years.”
Ethan kept looking up at all the archers and soldiers lining the wall. As he and his friends approached the main gate they were greeted by two guards. “Papers!” one of them said.
Nera presented them with the papers they had received from Yemenaris. “These are from the steward,” she informed them.
“So, they are,” the guard said. “But that doesn't mean you will be receiving special treatment or anything.”
“OPEN THE GATE!” a voice yelled from above.
“Thank you,” Nera said.
Both guards placed their spears in front of Nera and the others. “The gate is not opening for you. We have not finished conducting our business with you. Step to the side,” the guard snapped.
As the gates opened, Ethan saw a group of people coming through from the other side. They looked like construction workers. Many of them were walking through carrying pickaxes and shovels while three large carts were being pulled by bulls behind them. Each cart had something different inside. One had wood, the other had coal, and the last one looked like it had some kind of light gray stone.
“Hard day's work, boys?” the guard asked.
“You know it,” responded one of the men. “See you same time tomorrow.”
As the last cart made it through the gate, a voice yelled out again, “CLOSE THE GATE!”
“Now back to the lot of you,” the guard said, scrutinizing Ethan and company. “What business do you have beyond the border?”
Annoyed, Nera glared at the guard. “The steward already heard our request and granted us passage. Our business is our own. But if you must know, we are seeking a rare plant that grows in the north.”
The guard did not like her tone. “Watch your tongue when addressing the royal guard. Like I said, a letter from the steward does not warrant special treatment.”
A loud, stern voice from their left yelled, “Stand down!”
The guards immediately stood at attention as a younger man approached them. Ethan noticed the large axe on his back.
“You men will be taking the night shift for the next month until you learn respect,” the young man said. He turned to Nera to address the group. “Please forgive their rudeness. My name is Clay. I'm the captain of the guard.”
“It's ok,” Nera said. “I've handled worse.”
“I won't keep you long,” Clay said. “Your papers are in order and you are free to pass through. A word of caution though. Beyond the wall lay many dangers and unexplored lands. Keep your wits about you and never wander off alone. Good luck, and may your journey lead you back here safely.” Clay gave a hand motion, instructing the guards above to open the gate.
“Thank you, Clay. I appreciate the sentiment,” Nera said.
“OPEN THE GATE!” the voice from above yelled again.
Nera led Ethan and Naveni through the gate. Trixxie paused before following them. “Thanks for the help, love,” she said with a wink.
Clay gave her a slight smirk and walked off to continue his rounds.
Trixxie ran to catch up to Nera, who regarded her sourly. “Just had to be playful, didn't you, Trix?”
Trixxie bounced a little as she walked. “Life's boring if you don't have a little fun, right Ethan?”
Ethan nodded with a smile.
As they exited the other side of the gate, they heard the man above yell out, “CLOSE THE GATE!” The gate began to close behind them, creaking as it went until finally it let out a loud BOOM as the huge doors slammed shut.
The group stood there a moment looking out into the unfamiliar lands. Nera pulled out a map. She hadn't needed it up to this point as she had been traveling in familiar territory, but now she pulled out a compass as well to help her navigate. “According to this map, the ancient library lies to the north east. It's about a two-day trek into the desert from here.”
“Well, boys and girls, we better get a move on if we want to beat the Necrom,” Trixxie said as she skipped ahead.
Ethan took one last look back at the border gate. No turning back now, he thought. The group walked cautiously as they entered the Desert of Donmire.
The heat of the sun beat down on Ethan's neck. His skin was so hot he felt he could fry an egg on it. I miss sunscreen, he thought. They had been travelling through the desert for two and a half days now with no sign of the library. Nera walked in front of him at a quickened pace. The heat didn't seem to faze her at all. It was almost as if she didn't feel anything. He glanced back at Trixxie. Anger rose inside him at the sight.
“That's not fair!” he yelled.
Trixxie looked up at him. “What?”
“I'm burning up over here and you have an icicle to keep you cool,” Ethan said.
Nera looked back and sighed. “Trix, just make him one.”
Trixxie waved her hand around and created another icicle for Ethan. “Next time, just ask nicely instead of yelling,” she said with a wink.
Ethan placed the ice on the back of his neck, feeling instant relief. He cooled off immediately. “Ahhhhhhhh, much better,” he said. “So, where are we? Are we lost or something?”
They stopped at the top of a sand dune and Nera scanned the landscape. She began to worry thinking perhaps they were lost. Then she saw it, “There it is,” she said, pointing towards an ancient structure built into a mountainside.
“It looks really old,” Ethan said.
She nodded. “Come on. We are almost there.”
As they walked down the sand dune and made their way to the library, Ethan noticed something moving in the sands off in the distance. He watched and saw what looked like fish moving through the sand. “Hey. What's that?” he asked, pointing.
Trixxie and Nera looked off in the distance, trying to see what Ethan saw. “There's nothing there, Ethan. Maybe the heat is getting to you,” Nera said.
Ethan shook his head. “No! I saw something moving under the sand. It looked like a fish or something.”
Nera and Trixxie shared a look. “Well, whatever it was it isn't there anymore. Plus, it's far away so I think we're ok,” Trixxie said.
They turned and headed towards the library. Ethan kept glancing back to see if what he’d seen in the sand was still there, but the sands lay quiet. Maybe I imagined it, he thought.
“Look at that,” Trixxie said. She pointed towards the giant doors to the library as they ascended the steps. There was strange writing on the doors. “I saw this language in Erenmar.”
Nera ran her fingers across the door, feeling the etching and detail chiseled into it. The door was decorated but showed its age. She looked at Ethan and Trixxie, “I can’t believe it’s still standing after all these centuries. The way it’s built into the mountainside reminds me of Jasper’s temple.” The entire building was created from a type of stone she had never seen before. The entrance was lined with six pillars—three on either side of the doors—and the inscription Trixxie had noticed was in a language Nera had never seen before.
Ethan had never seen a library this big before and was curious about what books he would find inside. As he thought about the books, he was reminded of the last time he was with his dad at the antique store, looking at the books there. I miss Mom
and Dad, he thought.
“Avent.”
Ethan spun around, thinking someone was behind him. Nothing. He was feeling creeped out, “Did you guys hear something?”
Nera was still examining the door, “I didn’t hear anything. I can't seem to find a door handle or keyhole. I'm not sure how we get inside,” she said.
As Ethan approached, the jewel around his neck began to shimmer. At the same time, a symbol on the door began to shimmer in time with it. Ethan looked at the symbol on the door and reached up to touch it. He felt a nodule in the middle of the symbol and pushed inward on it. The door began to crack open and dust fell from inside the library. Ethan and Nera backed away from the door as it slowly opened. They all began to walk towards the entrance.
“ONLY THE CHOSEN MAY ENTER!” a loud voice echoed throughout the library.
Ethan backed away in fear. “No way! I'm not going in there by myself!” he stated. “What if some dead thing comes to life and attacks me?”
Nera knelt down and placed her hands-on Ethan's shoulders. “You will be fine, Ethan. We won't go anywhere and if anything happens, I will rush in there and help you,” she soothed.
Ethan felt a little better, but he was still terrified to go on his own.
“One other thing,” Nera added, “you'll need this.” She reached around her neck and pulled out the key Mora had given her. “You will need this to unlock something in there. I do not know what, but I am sure the light will lead you to your answer.”
Ethan took the key and placed it around his neck. It clinked against the sapphire rune that already lay there. He felt inside his pouch for the parchment Orius had left Nera; he felt he had all he needed and was ready to enter the library. He gripped his bow tightly and slowly entered.
As he passed under the giant archway of the doors, the torches lining the inner hallway all lit up a path to the main library. Ethan looked forward, unsure of what was waiting for him. A sudden gust of wind shot through the hallway and Ethan turned in time to watch the giant doors slam shut, trapping him inside. He ran to the door and pounded on it. “Let me out!” he yelled.
On the other side of the door, Nera pounded loudly. “Ethan! Are you ok?” she yelled. She could only barely hear Ethan's voice.
“I'm fine, I think,” Ethan said. “I guess I'm truly on my own on this one.”
Ethan turned and peered down the long hallway leading to the library. He slowly made his way down the hall. As he passed through another archway, he found himself in an enormous room. The walls were lined with books, scrolls, paintings and maps. He had never seen a library like this one. The main room was circular with multiple paths going in different directions. Each of these paths was lined with even more books. Ethan looked up and saw that there were three levels. Large pillars stood all around the main library room. Ethan walked along the wall, running his fingers across the books.
“So dusty. I wonder when someone was last in here,” he said.
He tried to read the titles of some of the books but a lot of them were in a language he couldn't understand. He stopped at a large map of Terah. “So this is Terah,” he said. He found Dragenmar on the map and ran his fingers up to the library’s location. “Wow. We traveled pretty far.”
THUD
The sound startled Ethan. He looked around, trying to figure out where the sound came from.
“Hello?” he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the library.
“Why have you entered the Library of Idalia?” a voice said.
Ethan looked around. The echo of the voice was all around him. He was having a hard time pinpointing the origin of the voice. “Who's there?” he asked.
“Why have you entered the Library of Idalia?” the voice asked again.
Ethan was still trying to figure out where the voice was coming from and started walking down one of the halls. “I'm searching for information on the Amulet of Light,” he answered. “Can you tell me who you are?”
“I am the keeper of this library. All the knowledge that is here belongs to me,” the voice answered.
Ethan peered down one of the long hallways. “Can you help me?” he asked. There was no response. “Hello! Are you still there?” he asked.
Still nothing. Ethan walked further down one of the hallways lined with books. He approached the end and had to decide if he was going to check out the right side or the left. As he started down the left side, he suddenly heard what sounded like a low grumbling. He took a few more steps down the hall and the grumbling became louder.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Ethan froze in his tracks. That sounds like an animal growling, he thought. He remained still for a couple of minutes and then he saw the shadow of what looked like a giant cat. The shadow seemed to be getting closer and the growling was getting louder. Ethan backed up a few steps and then he saw a black cat emerge from around the corner. It was the size of a truck and its eyes were a piercing yellow. Ethan had never seen a cat this big. He was so scared he couldn't think straight. He stared at the cat frightened. He finally noticed the large stripes on its back, A black tiger? He thought. Just then, the tiger let out a giant roar and began to run after him. Ethan lost his footing for a second and slipped backwards. He quickly caught himself and began to run in the opposite direction. Fear gripped him, giving him the extra speed, he needed to get away.
Ethan turned the corners as quickly as he could, knocking books over to block the tiger.
Ethan's heart raced. He peeked back and saw the giant tiger gaining on him. He turned another corner and knocked an entire shelf down. This time, the tiger couldn't pursue him. He looked back again and saw the tiger pacing behind the shelf, but then it leapt up to the second level of the library. Ethan felt a sigh of relief as he thought he had lost the giant cat. Before he could catch his breath though, the tiger hopped down from the second level and landed right in front of him. He was trapped.
The tiger moved very slowly towards Ethan. Ethan turned and tried to lift the shelf he had knocked over, but it was too heavy. He turned back, facing the tiger, trying to figure a way out. The giant cat let out another roar and leapt at Ethan, knocking him to the ground.
“Please don't eat me!” Ethan said, cowering on the floor.
The tiger bent its head down and sniffed Ethan.
SNORT
“Why would a vegetarian eat a human?” the tiger asked.
Ethan looked up at it, confused. “You can talk?”
The tiger backed off from Ethan. “No, you're just hearing voices. Of course, I can talk.” The tiger cocked its head. “Anymore witty questions for me?”
Ethan sat there speechless for a moment before passing out.
“Unnnnnnnngggghhhhhh.” Ethan sat up holding his head. “What happened?”
“Back amongst the living, I see,” the tiger said.
Ethan was startled at the sight of the giant cat and gasped. “Don't hurt me,” he blurted out.
The tiger sat up and shook his head. “For the last time, I'm a vegetarian. Humans are the absolute last thing on my menu, boy,”
Ethan frowned. “If you're a vegetarian, then why were you chasing me like you wanted to eat me?”
The tiger let out a yawn. “Well, for starters you are trespassing here, plus I was bored and wanted to play a little.”
Ethan's eyes widened. “That's your idea of playing? That was way too scary to be considered playing. Wait a minute. I thought animals couldn't talk. How are you able to?”
“Follow me. We have much to discuss.” The tiger turned and headed back to the main room of the library. Ethan followed, still wondering how an animal was speaking. The tiger jumped on a large stack of books and lay down. “Have a seat,” he offered.
Ethan sat down in front of him, unable to take all this in. As he looked up, he noticed that the tiger was lying on what looked like a throne made of books.
“Ok. Let's get the introductions out of the way,” the tiger said. “My name is Quinn and I am the keeper of Idalia.�
�� He looked down at Ethan, waiting for a response. “AHEM!”
“Oh, right. My name is Ethan. It's nice to meet you, Quinn.”
Quinn nodded. “Now that we're acquainted, we are going to play a game,” he said. “I will tell you my story and you will tell me yours. Not just your story from Terah, but from wherever you came from.”
Ethan was puzzled. How does he know I'm not from Terah?
“I know you are not from Terah,” Quinn explained as if he could read Ethan’s thoughts, “because you have a different smell. I have traveled to every corner of this world and there is not one place that smells like you.”
Ethan regarded him. “Ok. Who goes first?”
Quinn gave a long yawn. “Well, you asked me first, so I will be the one to start. The previous keeper of this library found me when I was a cub. I was wandering the desert, thirsty and hungry. One day, I happened upon this library and collapsed on the steps. He brought me in and nursed me back to health.” Quinn went on to explain how he had grown up with the keeper; learning to hunt the sand sharks that lived in the desert, finding that the sand sharks tasted disgusting, thus becoming a vegetarian, having the keeper read to him daily and finally about the keeper passing away. “After he passed, I inherited the library,” he finished.
“I think I saw some of those sand sharks in the desert. My friends thought I was seeing things. Guess I was right,” Ethan said with a smile. “So, if you are the keeper here, how come the library is so dusty and worn down? Don't other people come here?”
Quinn looked around, surprise on his face. “Yeah, I guess I could clean it up some time,” he chuckled. “To answer your question, this library is unique. In a way, you can almost consider this library to be a living being. It chooses who it allows to take in its knowledge.”
“A living building. Yeah, right,” Ethan scoffed.
