Memories

The entire train ride, his fingers kept hovering over his pocket where his passport was safely tucked away. He’d already been thrown out of the Upper Ring once, he didn’t trust them not to do it again and so he kept checking whether his ticket back was still there every few seconds. Even when the train stopped and he walked through the city, trying to find the great library, he kept his hand in the same position. Until he kept getting suspicious looks and plunged his hands in his trouser pockets to keep himself from checking again and again.

When he was a child, he’d spend most of his days either reading or having his own adventures. He’d enjoyed a proper education. That is, until he was thirteen. The Lower Ring had no schools, barely any books and only a few people that could read them anyway, and having to work heavy jobs for long days left Ishir too tired to absorb information like he used to. He’d sometimes been lucky to find some books stowed away in a small shop or had been able to have them carried over together with less legal substances; once he’d settled into his new life, he’d done anything for more knowledge.

Eventually, after taking a few wrong turns, Ishir found the library and had his passport looked at—it was still where he’d left it—before he entered. The room he walked into was big, the walls were covered from top to bottom with shelves filled with books. It was even more magnificent than he remembered.

His mouth fell open as he took in the sight.

YOUR SOUL IS FORFEIT.

Eli was entirely in his element whenever he visited the library. He didn’t try to make a habit of it, certainly not nowadays. But there was a calm and comfort in being surrounded by years of knowledge. He liked spending the day there, trying to find something new to play with, making notes on anything and everything he thought might be useful. Of course he’d never actually study magic, he’d always been to scared that it would draw too much attention, but he could find a number of books that warned of the dangers of it, and today he could resist the urge to browse through it.

He was sitting at a table, not particularly interested in the people around him. He never was. Once he had dived into his work there was no way to get him out until he became too tired. But as he looked up his gaze fell on a man who seemed to be a first time visitor. And he simply couldn’t help but *scoff* at his face. “Never been in a library before have you?”

DIE.

For a moment Ishir only had eyes for the books around him. The sight was magnificent and it took just about all of his self control not to squeal from enthusiasm and do a little dance. This was the one place in Alderrath that didn’t reek of misery or suffering—greed and snobbery, yes, they did keep this all to themselves after all, but you couldn’t expect something to be completely perfect—and instead smelled of knowledge and maybe a sliver of hope. Finally, he had access to anything he’d ever wanted to know.

He was brought back to cruel reality by a scoff and judgemental words. Arrogant little worm, he thought, but instead of answering in a way he might have wanted to, Ishir turned towards the other with a smile. “Not one as grand as this,” he spoke, voice full of bewonderment for the room they were in. “I’m from overseas,” he explained as if the man had asked a genuine question.

YOUR SOUL IS FORFEIT.

Eli usually didn’t pay any attention to the people around him. It could only end badly, people could recognize him at its worst, and distract him at his best. But looking amazed stranger made him laugh. He knew that the lower rings often didn’t have the same opportunities as he had when he was growing up, but they at least had books right?

He hummed, when the stranger explained. Eli looked at the rows of books, briefly wondering how the stranger was perceiving the place. He had basically grown up in the building. He knew exactly where everything was, or had been. He couldn’t imagine any other library. “Right, travelling all this way to behold the library of Alderrath then?” He knew he shouldn’t engage in conversation, but he was a little curious.

DIE.

Even though he’d loved reading at the time, Ishir had never actually visited the library as a child. His parents had always sent a servant to go to the Middle ring for him and retrieve any book he wanted. He’d imagined what the building looked like: a room stretching as far as the eye could see, filled from top to bottom with books big and small. He’d even drawn the place. But nothing compared to finally seeing it with his own eyes.

Until his excitement was extinguished by a man who was sitting at a table a little away from him. How he wished to make the other beg for Renestrae’s mercy. Sadly that would blow his cover and so he turned around with a smile on his face and explained he was from overseas and had never seen a library as grand as this one. It wasn’t all a lie. It was true that he’d never been in a library like this. The only difference was that the reason for that was that he’d been carted away to the Lower Ring when his parents finally realised how little he was worth.

Ishir shook his head. “I came to Alderrath as a businessman, but a little sightseeing never hurts,” he said. “This library is definitely worth the train ride from—” He scrunched his face into a thoughtful look. “The higher circle? Is that what it’s called? I’m sorry, I’ve only been here for less than a week,” he apologised for his lack of knowledge. He had just arrived in Alderrath after all…