Library (1)

"You are pulling my leg," Nika grunted, listening to Elian's explanation, walking up and down, rubbing her forehead, feeling greatly troubled.

"You... you really met with the First Hero?! How awesome is that?!"

On the other hand, Sammy was like a Duracell bunny, jumping around Elian, wanting to hear the story again and pleading with him to retell it, wishing to visit the cemetery with him the following night.

"Sam," Elian shrugged, telling him the third time, "If he didn't lie, you wouldn't see him. Or he wouldn't even appear when I am not alone. Honestly, I don't know if we can trust him at all."

"What you described..." Nika murmured, stopping and looking at him, examining his eyes, "The looks match some of the paintings we have in the castle."

"If you can show me, I can tell you if it was him or not."

"What about the library? Want to visit it?" Nika asked, crossing her arms and waiting for his response.

"It is yours to decide." Elian answered promptly, raising his hands, "As I said, I don't trust the guy. Appearing out of the blue? Weird. This could be a trap."

"It may not be out of the blue..." She murmured, making the others look at her, waiting patiently for Nika to collect her thoughts. "Dalen had a similar request one day. He wanted to visit the library, and we let him. As a Hero, we knew he could retrieve any book from their place and read it, and there was no reason to say no. I even thought he had learned something there, as he managed to turn the tide of the war afterward. But, then again, it may have been something else that he found... These embers... I never heard about them."

"Another suspicious point," Elian added, digging a hole right under himself, but he was being honest, making Nika smile.

"What I know of the First Hero is that he was, indeed, weird." The Princess nodded, "Many people are unaware that I read his personal notes, which are preserved within our libraries. He was far too honest and loved to have a good time. He was fond of practical jokes and riddles, and he also enjoyed teasing everyone... There are multiple counts, recordings of nobles, and complaints that people couldn't tell when he was serious or when he was making a joke, causing great confusion amongst the people."

"I can see that..." Elian mumbled, watching Nika shrug.

"I will take you to the library, but I will accompany you and read what you read."

"Naturally." He agreed without arguing, furthering the Princess's trust.

"Can we...?" Sakku spoke up, not wanting to separate from Elian, making Nika nod her head.

"Yes, you two will come with us, but not into the library. It is best if the group remains one, but some places are... off-limits. Sorry about that.

"It's natural," Sakku agreed, smiling, making Nika continue.

"If our mysterious specter is not who he says he is and the work of Dalen, it means he managed to infiltrate the city. It is best if we remain close to each other; I don't want to deal with assassins."

"Assassins...?" Sakku trembled, gulping, making Elian pat her head.

"I don't think any assassin would be brave enough to get in here before Dalen. If what Susaria told me is true, dragons are proud. He would want to be the first to barge in."

"That... It's true." Nika whispered, her voice cold and full of disgust and hatred, "He didn't take well when I turned him down."

"Huh?"

"He wanted and still wants me." She responded to Elian's announced surprise that he was unable to hold back. "Why do you think I am still alive?"

...

....

......

Heading through the third circle, Elian could see that the streets were much broader, and the houses were replaced with factories and blacksmith shops. Wherever he looked, there were different flags of different guilds flapping in the wind, proudly displaying their insignias. Listening to Nika's explanation, this circle of the city was wholly focused on production and commerce. Of course, it was not for shops, where people could go in and browse, but a collection of the different trading guilds spread across the Kingdom. Back then, if any guild had any sway in their chosen field, their headquarters were established here. Yet, after all that happened, many of those buildings were now empty shells, still corpses made of stone and wood.

After passing through and entering the fourth circle, the buildings changed once again, becoming lavish and luxurious with their own walls and vast courtyards. Elian didn't need to ask who lived here; it was evident. The elite of the Kingdom, but for all intents and purposes, most of the residences looked empty and abandoned, a theme that was true for the entire Kingdom. As he walked through, he couldn't help but feel that it was similar to a cemetery, but instead of headstones, the homes and their decorated gates were the memorabilia, left here to reflect on the fallen families.

"Not every one of them is dead," Nika answered, catching Elian's gaze and reading what he was thinking about. "There are many family homes here that are still... Alive. It is just... that their owners are simply fighting on the opposite side. They do want to return and reclaim their homes, not until my bloodline exists..."

"I see..." He nodded as the realization hit him. Of course, because the enemy was not someone who sprang up from nowhere, it consisted of veterans and warriors of a war fought against the undead. They were led by old nobles... It made sense.

"Well..." Nika smiled, looking mischievous and a bit evil, "They won't find much, even if they do come back. We had to support the refugees and the war effort, so many of their belongings were confiscated and stripped away."

"Smart." Elian chuckled, agreeing with their actions wholeheartedly. "They chose their sides; they can't be mad about it."

"Exactly! Glad you are seeing it that way; no wonder you are a hermit! Worldly possessions are meaningless to you, hm?" She teased, giggling to herself.

"Err... Yeah. Something like that." Elian answered, twitching the corner of his mouth while smiling, both of them knowing exactly why.

It made Elian quickly decide to just remain silent as they continued their journey, entering the last and fifth circle of Karnia. It was the smallest, but it made sense, as it was the home of the royal family and their immediate servants. Looking at the vast gardens, the beautiful hedges, and the fountains, Elian felt as if he had been dropped in one of the fables from his childhood. The giant castle added to the feeling with its tall, almost magical-looking spirals, thick walls, and colorful windows, all depicting different mystical creatures he could finally make out as they got this close to it.

"The library is in the back tower," Nika said, stopping while a group of people emerged from the castle, approaching them with haste. Watching their figures, they were a mix of maids and soldiers, here to welcome their Princess, returning to the castle. "Sakku, Sammy, you will stay with the maids. You have free rein to explore the gardens or wait in the common room. Please do not wander off; there are many ancient spells placed here that won't be kind to trespassers without the correct protection."

"Yes!" Sammy saluted yet remained excited as this was like another dream coming true. Entering the castle? Where did the Heroes live, and where did everything start?! He couldn't wait.

"Be careful, okay?" Sakku said, making Nika raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Relax, we are in the heart of the Susarian people, no?" He laughed, crouching down and rubbing her pink, furry head. "Watch Sammy so as not to cause trouble."

"I am not a kid!" He protested at once after hearing it, but Elian just laughed it off, bowing towards Nika.

"Lead the way, Princess."

"Brr. Acting polite? Now? What's this?" She asked, grimacing and shivering, forcing Elian to roll his eyes.

"That was... I was fired up. Adrenalin. Okay? I am in the home of the Princess, with servants approaching us. I can adapt; I don't want to lose my head!"

"Sure, sure... Come, Mr. Adaptive, let me take you to the library; you will need me to pick out the required books! Only a Hero can do that without help! You wouldn't be one, would you?"

"I wouldn't say no to your help, even if I were one, Princess." He answered swiftly, making her smile. A sharp light flashed through her red eyes, leading Elian into the castle, and Sammy and Sakku headed toward the front gardens.