A Fantastical Library

“Any Chief’s most valuable asset is knowledge. This is why there is a tremendous library connected to the Benz house. It is also available to the public; however, the family controls when it’s open and closed. Of course, the entrance to the Benz house is always blocked off.”

—Robin Benz

We meet up with Mirei outside of the baths. She smiles at me, remarking how much better I look. I return the compliment, gesturing toward her new clothes. Beneath mud-colored overalls is a white shirt with button-up sleeves. She currently has them folded at the elbows, revealing a hint of red sleeves that end at the middle of her forearms. She sports rugged ankle boots and red socks that are uneven: one is stretched up to the middle of her shin, and the other stubbornly sinks to the top of the boot.

As Roo leads us to the library, the events leading up to my saving Roo surface in my mind. I remember grabbing him with both hands, including my unwrapped one. At the time, my body moved faster than I could think to get Roo out of the way. His body never froze in time though, like those people sinking in the sand dunes. It’s clear that I possess the same magic as the sandstorm’s; and yet, sometimes it acts up, and other times it doesn’t.

The fact that I’m not doomed to never touch people again should make me happy, but it does not. In fact, I feel worse. I can’t predict when my touch will be infused with that mysterious magic. The only quality I can discern is that the magic only pools into my hands, not any of my other limbs. After all, Roo and Mirei have been grabbing me by the forearm all the time and things have been fine. I hate that I can’t control it.

I rub a hand over my forehead, trying to hide the stress lines I know are forming there. It’s best that I don’t involve Mirei in this. She hasn’t had any problems, unlike me. How can this be? We have the same magic, but for her, it doesn’t act up.

I mull it over to myself, wondering if the fact that she has more life magic has anything to do with it.

“We’re almost there. The library is a bit large, so don’t wander off too far. Our magic connection has already worn off,” Roo states.

How hard can it be to get lost in a library? I think to myself.

We round the corner.

My eyes bulge. Roo calls this a ‘bit large?!’

Behind an arch made of bowing tree branches is a bottomless maze of book stacks and shelves. At the top of the crooked book stacks are glass orbs flickering with azure light. Their luminescence gleams on hanging leaves and swirling staircases, giving the library an otherworldly feel. A tremendously tall and foggy window radiates golden light, perhaps from the suns outside. When I squint closer, I see numerous desks floating in the air at a slow pace, most of them located close to the window. Some of them weave between the hanging leaves, others meander between mountains of books that don't fit inside any of the bookshelves.

It’s strange because I can see the tops of all the stacks, but not the bottom where darkness hides it all. This is when Roo lays his hand against part of the arch, and instantaneously, his magic threads through the arch, following a complex web of veins. Once it has traveled completely through the whole arch, the library itself groans and quakes gently. A series of popping sounds, like bottle caps flying off of soda drinks, echo from deep below us. Mirei and I tentatively step towards the edge, watching warily below. Then, orbs like the ones on top of the book stacks shoot into view, engulfing everything in azure and golden light. The lamps on the floating desks flicker alive and wide paths of translucent green magic spark into existence. One of them surges from behind a bookshelf a few meters away and connects with the floor where Mirei and I stand.

“These are magic bridges,” Roo explains. “You may walk on them to navigate the library. If you wish to get to the lower levels, there are spiraling staircases you can use. But for now, follow me. I will find the section on law.”

We take our first step onto the bridge. Light pulses where our feet touch it, leaving bright footsteps as we walk. Mirei spins around and around, gawking at everything. When we pass a particularly close bookshelf, I run my fingers along the glossed wood. A few small critters waddle out from between the books, squeaking and chittering. A few of them are adorable tiny mushrooms with chubby stubs for legs; others are reminiscent of snails.

“What are these creatures?” I ask. My voice echoes in the endless expanse of the library.

“They are Book Watchers. They make sure the material of the books stays intact. They also guard against those who damage the library, so don’t get them angry,” Roo says, chuckling at the expression on my face.

“They’re so cute!” Mirei squeals, stopping to let one of the mushrooms hop onto her finger. It trips and falls onto the palm of her hand. Once it rights itself, it squeaks in victory.

Roo smiles and waves us forward. “Let’s go.”

Mirei cuddles the mushroom creature to her chest and skips ahead to catch up with us. After a minute of following the translucent path, it stops at a platform made of thick tree branches. Vines and overgrown weeds stick out from the crevices.

The platform sticks out from a doorway in the wall. Now that we’re up close, and with sconces lighting it up, I see that the wall is made of tree bark.

“Could it be that we’re inside the trunk of Forre Tree?” I marvel.

Roo nods. “Astute observation, my young pupil.”

Laughter bubbles up my throat. “Should I be calling you ‘Teacher of Law, Roo Benz’ now?”

Roo crosses his arms and strokes his invisible beard, stepping onto the platform languidly. “I suppose. But rather than ‘Teacher of Law,’ I should prefer to be likened to ‘Wise Sage of Law, Roo Benz.’”

Mirei cackles beside me, hopping onto the platform as I do the same. I hum as if considering the title. Then, I declare, “Then I shall call you Sage Roo. This humble student will follow your teachings to the book.”

Roo buckles over, laughter echoing in the library. “Did you intend to make that pun?”

“Of course,” I lie, grinning ear-to-ear.

We enter the doorway and follow a short tunnel lit by sconces. Overgrown vines with leaves and foreign flowers cling to the walls, emitting a sweet scent. Once we reach the end, a smaller version of what we saw at the library’s entrance stretches out in front of us. However, instead of mountains of books, everything is stacked neatly into ornate bookshelves. The green path in front of us is lined with them.

“This is the law section. The area we just left was simply the main section, where you would find books about general topics. For in-depth knowledge about specific subjects, there are areas such as these.”

Mirei and I nod in understanding. Roo then steps to the side and opens a small vintage cabinet nudged beside the doorway. Then, he pulls out a glass orb the size of a human head, radiating gold light.

“These are Optical Orbs. They are easily manipulated, so you can make them float high up to help you see the top of shelves. It will mostly be me using it, though.”

“Can I try making it fly?” Mirei asks, practically vibrating with excitement.

Roo contemplates her for a few moments, and then nods slowly. Mirei cheers, reaching for the Orb, but Roo holds it high above his head, out of her reach.

“Not today. We’re in a time crunch.”

Mirei visibly sulks, slouching where she stands. I want to pat her back, but I also don’t want to risk it. So I tell her, “Another time, Mirei. Let’s come back here after we win our trial.”

My confidence is very low, but I don’t want to sound like we’ve already lost. I have no experience with debate, and Mirei… well, she’s eight and thinks like an eight-year-old. That is a disadvantage itself.

Mirei nods, sad but resolute. She doesn’t seem to think the same way as me. When has she ever?

Roo leads us further and eventually we find a small opening between two bookshelves off to the side. We squeeze through it and find ourselves in a small cove of desks all bobbing lightly in the air at different heights. Bookshelves line the area in a perfect circle, secluding it.

“This is where we will study,” Roo says.

“Will people come?” I ask.

“No. It’s currently closed right now. If it were open to the general public, the doorway between this place and my house would be gone, like it never existed.”

“Oh, I see.”

Roo snaps his fingers and one of the desks sinks to the translucent floor in front of us. “Shall we begin?”