Mabinogi Generation 1 - Chapter 11: Darkened Pages

“The second volume with the Book of Revenge? I don’t think I have that right now, I can ask my supplier for a copy of it though.” I raised my hand to my face in reaction to the bookstore owner actually knowing of the book and possibly having it. Last night, or rather, over the course of a couple days now we have been searching for more information of both the author, Mores Gwydion, and his intentions based on the things he wrote in the first translated book. Somehow, the suggestion was made the check the bookstore and…
“If you don’t have it right now, how soon can your supplier give it to you?” Klarrann asked. She turned around while rustling around a pile that was at least almost my height.
“Well, he usually stops by at lunch asking if people are making requests… So, by nightfall, we should have it.”
“Hmm…” he pondered, then looked onto the rest of us, to which we all shrugged, mostly. “It’d be nice to have it as soon as possible, but if nightfall is soonest.”
“Well, you could try the library connected to the magic school,” she suggested. “They let you borrow books for a maximum of 3 days. And they’re known for having a wide and abstract collection of books.” A school and library? How did they manage to fit a classroom and library together?
“We’re not really familiar with this town; can you point us in the direction of it?” Kaya, who was leaning against a wall facing the owner, asked. To which the owner chuckled lightly.
“That wall you’re leaning against is a part of it,” she responded. I looked at the wall Kaya was leaning against and allowed my eyes to travel up it. Higher and higher they climbed, still seeing wall until finally reaching a roof.
“Wha…” flabbergasted, only slightly inaudible Welsh slipped out of my mouth. I’ve never seen such a building before. “That’s a huge room…”
“Silly Kitty, there’s not just one classroom, probably multiple ones throughout it.” Piko lightly jabbed at me. And here I thought the biggest building was Ranald’s combat school back at Tir Chonaill… suddenly I feel small.
In the time of me being floored by the sheer size of the building, I suddenly found myself alone at the bottom of the steps that would take me to the entrance. Wasting no more time, I chased after the others up three sets of steps leading to the grand, rustic looking, wooden vestibule. The size was once more catching up to me as I turned around to see a combat field like the one back at home overlooking the square of the town.
“Wow!” I yelled as I ran over to the guard fence and looked down. I saw the streets we walked upon, the marketplace with all the vendors, the bank and the clock tower standing over them like titans. The people scurried around like field mice in the marketplace, no matter where I looked was movement.
“Taiga,” I heard Sokk say as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, we need everyone inside to search the library.” He said with a smile.

---

“Great Lymilark…” The aroma of dusty pages, leather-bound covers, and the typical stagnant air of a library was present as it usually was, but much stronger. What I had stepped foot into far exceeded my expectations.
Without even paying mind to the shelves packed with books, the room was a great two-floored hall, hollow in the centre where there were seats, a chalkboard, and looking over them was a massive window facing where Palala would normally last shed its light before Eweca and Ladeca take the night shift. A few steps from the door we stepped in from were a staircase leading down there.
Should you not choose to go into those sections, the walls all around the second floor were carved in so that books may be placed on them. Directly beneath the floor were even more bookshelves packed with even more books all surrounding the conference area.
“Where do you think we should start looking?” I asked the others, not even turning around to them.
“Wherever you start, I suggest you start soon and look fast,” said a raspy, unfamiliar voice belonging to some old lady.
“You must be the attendant,” Sokk implied. “We’re looking for a certain title, maybe you can help us?” She chuckled half-heartedly in response.
“Sure, but if you find it I want the damn thing returned, got it?” she said, now brandishing a metre stick and holding it like Kaya would a staff then walking towards a desk.
“S-scary…” Piko commented, then looking left and right. Not soon after a smile snuck its way back onto her face. “Hey, a kid’s section! Taiga!”
“No.”
“Uuu….” She whimpered in defeat and moseyed over towards it.
“Guys, I’m going to have a look at the history section as a head start,” I told the others, then parted on my way there.
I made my way towards the back of the library, passing by shelf after shelf of old wood holding onto collections of information, memories of one’s accomplishments, and story of grandeur. Soon, the smell no longer became a bother to me as it was rivalled by my longing to explore and see what books they had that Lassar did not.
All she had were a bunch of dusty books about magic, maybe a couple biographies of some everyday Caravan Joes. And romance, she could not live a day without keeping her nose buried in a romance book.
“Okay… Folk Lore… Religion… History,” oh, that was easy. Though the shelves themselves were about almost 3 times my height, I still felt it would be easy to find the name I’m looking for, and maybe other interesting ones.
Let’s see… D… F…. G… Go… there’s gotta be a Gwydion here somewhere…
“Little girl…” huh? As I turned in the direction the voice was, I saw a brittle figure, with his face half-hidden by the shadow of the bookcase. “Little girl… this is a dangerous place… you shouldn’t be here…”
Well, if an old man, or just anybody older than me wanted to warn me about how dangerous a place it, I will usually take their warning into account and think about my next action, but… this is a library. What does he think, I’m going to tip a shelf over on myself? Or I’m going to find a book I’m under-age for?
“Thanks for the concern but…” I turned back to the shelf, “I’m quite capable of looking after myself…”
Gu… H. Darn it.
“Hey old man, you wouldn’t happen to know whe—huh?” Like that, he wasn’t standing there. I ran to the end of the cases and looked both ways… gone.
Weird… and he looked older than even Chief Duncan. How could he move that fast… and that silently?
“Hey, Taiga!” I hear Klarrann yell from the lower floor. “They don’t have it here, stop searching, we’re heading back to camp!” I looked down on the others gathered in the center, then to the library entrance… the old man still nowhere in sight.

---

The fire crackled in front of me, shooting out smoke and waves of heat under the starlit sky. A scene I had become used to over the past few days.
Kaya was usually a bit closer to the fire handling the cooking pot, though somebody else volunteers from time to time, Sokk and Piko had just returned with bundles of twigs and a stack of cut wood. Sometimes it would be Klarrann in Sokk’s place, but tonight he was right next to Aka watching her cook.
I stared into the fire, mesmerized by the way it dances as if the wind were blowing and changing its shape, though it was stagnant tonight. Fire is so weird, the way it just billows from the base and dissipates as it gets taller. I wonder what makes it do that… I wonder…
What was the deal with that old man in the library? Why did I feel so cold when he was near me? What’s so dangerous about the library? I want to know. I need to know.
“Taiga?” Oh, oops, I stood up unconsciously. “What’s wrong?”
I looked blankly at the others staring inquisitively at me… as if on instinct, I reached for the sides of my pants and cloak.
“Oh no! I dropped something!” I dropped something… it’s fool proof. “I think I left it at the library!” I was returned with less than impressed gazes.
“The library probably isn’t open right now… whatever you lost, it can probably wait until tomorrow to get it back,” Kaya scoffed off my excuse like it was nothing.
“No no no, Kaya, it might be really important to her…” Piko retorted then looked down on me like a lost animal. “It can’t be helped, our big sister Piko will help!” She claimed triumphantly then turned to the others, probably expecting support.
The other three sat there each with an expression of their own in reaction. Klarrann smiled, but in a no-thank-you kind of way. Kaya looked annoyed, as she usually does. Sokk… looked like he had a plan, maybe he’s coming?
“I’m beat, but you know who isn’t? Kaya.” Or he could volunteer somebody else, who now has turned to him surprised and angry.
She raises her index finger up to him, then lowers it and looks away from all of us. She sighs and pinches her sinus, then lowers her arm to her side.
“Fine, but only because I don’t think either of you can last those streets at night, both on your own and together,” she said, meant to be an insult, though Piko simply took it as…
“A girl’s night out!” she triumphantly said standing at the entrance to the darkened library.
“Idiot!” Kaya scolded her and slammed her fist against her head. “Technically, we’re trespassing right now only to find a small something that Taiga lost. That means if we’re caught, we’re in trouble.” She turned around to the door, staff at the ready. “This is by no means a ‘girl’s night out’,” she retorted shorty before ramming the head of her staff against the door knob, causing it to open.
“Uhh… I don’t think—“ I wouldn’t finish my input on method of entry as Kaya turned her glare onto me.
“What the hell did you lose in here? It better be important…” Crap, I never thought about that. I panicked as I looked around desperately for something that would give me a thought of something irreplaceable yet small.
The stone staircase, the wooden roof, several training dummies, not a single thing here bared resemblance to anything important. Maybe it would just be better if I told her flat out?
With a sigh, I walked past Kaya to the door and nudged it a bit more open.
“Walk with me, I’ll explain along the way.”
…
“And he just disappeared?”
“Yeah… I was wondering what he meant when he said the place was dangerous,” by now, we were standing at the door to the library. Kaya placed her hand on her chin to think, while Piko poked her head inside the library.
“Hey, I’m going ahead in, there are some books I actually need to return!”
“You stole fro—wait!” Kaya yelled, too late though as Piko dashed inside assuming it was safe to enter. We really had no choice but after her at this point, splitting up is too risky, even if we knew the library was locked.
It had a different feel to it, the library. When there was light, it was warm and inviting, with the distinct smell of leather-bound books with faded old paper pages. Under the moonlight, it seemed cold; the air was thin and stagnant. Somehow, there was tension in the air.
“Damn it, Piko, wait!” Kaya yelled out to her. She stopped in front of a book case and smiled back at us.
“Oh come on, it’s just a library at night! Besides, this is the case I—KYAH!!” she screamed as she turned her head and fell over on her hands.
Worried, we ran over and looked down the aisle… the old man was standing there.
Like the library, he had somewhat of a more… sinister vibe coming from him. I couldn’t make out a face, but I sensed he was scowling; his arms looked as brittle as they did in the light, but colder. As Piko scampered behind Kaya and I, he raised his hand up, pointing at me.
“Little girl… this place is dangerous… you shouldn’t be here…” he exhaled his words, and started to slowly approach us. His face was becoming clearer and clearer with each step. “Little girl… this place…” I could see wrinkles, decrepit teeth, and soon, eyes that pierced like a raven. “Little gi--!!”
*fwham!!*
A gust of wind had brushed past my head and he was pushed back. He fell neck first onto the ground, an arrow in his chest, about a quarter of it visible. I turned around, saw Piko hurriedly readying another arrow.
“Piko, you just shot a man!”
“No she didn’t…” Kaya retorted then held her hand fire over enough to show the old man was slowly getting back up. He grasped the arrow, and then simply pulled it out. “Taiga, that is a ghoul… and I suggest she shoots him again, like, now?”
“I-I’m trying! Stand aside!” she commanded, and then fired another arrow, creating a gust and pushing the man back once more. As I watched her ready another arrow, I couldn’t help but think there was something…!
“Duck!” I jumped forward and brandished my dagger. I made a jabbing cut behind her, making contact with something. Then, landing squarely on my feet behind Kaya and Piko, I turned around to see what it was.
A mantle? Did I imagine this attacking her and jumped on a coat hanger?
“Crap…” Kaya muttered then dashed slightly ahead of me. She stopped and turned around, facing us with her trademark always serious glare. Though, I felt a bit more urgency with a hint of fear than I did any imposing. “If you value your sanity, we need to run out of this place as fast as we can!”
This came across as a shock to me. This was Kaya, the same one who subdued a giant wolf with a single fire bolt, elbowed a bandit in the back in order to scare them off, and knocked an argus off its feet using magic, telling us we need to run. If she’s afraid of what’s in here… then this library—
“Taiga, stop day-dreaming! Come on!” I heard Piko yell, then promptly grabbed my wrist and started running.
“I heard there was a library that, at night, becomes a supernatural hot spot, I would have never imagined it was in Dunbarton of all places…” I heard Kaya say from in front of us. “Listen carefully, everything here is an echo of the Second Great Battle of Mag Tuireadh. They shouldn’t be able to harm us but…”
The Fomors were rising in power lately… they can control animals, change a druid’s view on the world, and I guess now raise the dead. That old man… he was right to say this place is dangerous.
“!!” Piko suddenly halted in front of me. I looked ahead and saw Kaya standing in front of dark suit of armour which blocked our only exit from this place. It wasn’t there before, nobody had moved it, either; it was moving itself.
The armour held a broad sword with two hands, and was raising it high up. As it did so, I looked at Kaya, wondering why she wasn’t moving. Does she have a plan? Does she know what do to? Or is she just scared?
“Kuh…” Piko cringed in front of me, then made a dash to her and the armour! “Get out of the way!!” she screamed at it, or Kaya, I don’t know, with an arrow loaded into her bow which was… shining? I don’t know, I might have been seeing things.
*SCREECHSCH!!!*
She had fired the arrow off from her bow, piercing the armour and pinning it to the wall. The sound of metal against metal confirmed this along with two bright sparks.
I ran up to the scene of action, saw Kaya still visibly shaken for reasons we don’t know, Piko had an expression that mixed both anger and fear, and the armour now pinned against the wall, but lifeless. The exit to the library was now free to us!
I turned around and grabbed Kaya by the hand, dashed to the door, and swung it open. We were free from this undead phenomenon… but something told me leaving it as is would be our undoing.
Soon, the entrance to the building itself was in sight. With a final mad dash, we ran past the door, then slammed it shut behind us. I looked at Kaya, who seemed to be somewhat disturbed, but recovering, then at Piko who was breathing heavily with her hands on her knees.
“Man… that was close…” I muttered, though not adequate to describe what exactly happened in there. Piko lifted her head up enough to see her face, which appeared pleased that we all had made it out. Though… “Kaya, are you okay?” I asked her, the person who we would expect to be the calmest in a situation like this seemed the most horrified by it all.
“I saw… just darkness…” she breathily whispered. “It was so dark…” she grasped her arms together, looked down and shivered. “It took everything… all was gone… all was lost…”
At this moment, Piko, who I expected to pee her pants 3 times by now and was, instead the person with the most resolve, draped her arms around her.
“We’re still here, the darkness didn’t get us.”
…well, aside from knowing why “the echoes of the Second Great Battle of Mag Tuireadh” are in the library and only at night, I think the biggest mystery right now is what Klarrann and Sokk will think of all this, or if we should even tell them. Though… maybe we should wait until Kaya recovers from this shock.
“You’re afraid of the dark, who knew~” Piko said, praising Kaya’s fear as if she just caught her first fish. Almost instantly, a spark appeared in her eyes and a look of being both annoyed and indifferent returned.
“Get off of me!!! Also, nobody is to know about this or I’ll burn every last stupid piece of clothing you own!”
…that didn’t take long.

lol scary library is scary.

I see why this is taking so long.