Struggling to swim

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 13th, 2018, 5:04 pm

2nd Spring 518

A new year would mean new hope, nothing could stop her now. This would be the year that changed her, the year she became something and mattered. First things first she would need to matter to herself, and that would mean putting herself first.

Attempting to cook had gone well last season as she spent a lot of time burning things and living off of toast, jam, cured meats and cheeses. She hoped to do a little better with a new endeavor.

Her lips burned and from time to time would even crack and bleed. The climate change, her profession and that damn habit of licking her lips had gotten the better of her. She would soon fix that and started the day gathering her supplies. She grabbed a simple quill a sad looking thing she hoped to replace with a more appropriate birds feather. Next a green bottle of in, green for no other reason than she was told it was the last one in stock. Lastly she would grab a blank leather bound book, it was simple and at one time was going to should her thoughts but now it would hold her dreams. Armed with the items she would need she would be off to the races.

Almost as if the city decided she needed to do this the sunken library was easily viable from her home. It would not take her more than a few moments to get to her destination. Pulling open the door she was greatest with that same wall of water and a sign just past the threshold that read 'Please do not forget to breath'. If Alex had leaned anything about this city it was things were typically not what they seemed and this place would be no different. At least that is what she would tell herself as she stood in from of the opening just staring into the water.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 15th, 2018, 5:26 am

Water was not her friend. If fact it was something she had always feared. The thought of stepping into such a place made every hair on her body stand up. It was not until a women, the librarian floated by and caught her attention "Are you just going to stand there all day? Children...". Alex took a few quick breaths before taking one long deep breath right before crossing into the water.

Instantly she felt the pressure of the water on her chest and face and it started to send her into a panic. Her heart started to race as she turned to see the door slowly closing behind her. What had she gotten herself into? Pressure all around, from every angle closing in on her clutching her in its heavy grips. Lungs started to hurt as they pleaded to exhale and draw I'm a new breath. Her heart beat once slow and steady begain to beat faster and faster until each on blurred into the next. First pink then red washed over her face and chest as she clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms and tightly shut her eyes. "Calm down... calm down!!!" She thought only making it worse. Her throat strained as her lungs pulled firmly trying to take in even the slightest bit more. Blindly, she reached for the door, she needed to find a way out before it was to late. Bubbles started to escape, slipping past her pink lips one, then two and three before a swarm erupted from her lungs. Unable to hold back any longer she took a breath.

Expecting a lung full of water she clawed at her neck. Fingernails would dig into the skin and plow red rows down her chest. Only a few seconds passed before she froze realizing she felt fine. Fingers soon found her lips as she took in yet another breath. Thinking to herself she wondered how this was even possible. It took several more breaths before she realized parts of her body were moving in an unexpected way. Looking down at herself she gasped seeing gills on either side of her torso.

The librarian however was not amused and just shook her hear ignoring the red haired girl as best as she could. Alex suspected this was not the first time something like this had happened. Looking down Alex realized she had dropped all of her things. A little shaken up she clumsily gathered her book, ink and quill before venturing further in. "This is just an illusion" she muttered to herself.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 16th, 2018, 5:24 am

Stopping at the front desk she thought to ask for a little help. The librarian looked at Alex while pointing at the sign. "Feeling a little better? Please do not forget to breathe. Can I assist you with something?" Nodding Alex took half a second to compose her thoughts into common before she spoke. "Yes, I am looking for books." Again she paused for a second giving more then ample time for that thought to set in. "I want to find more on plants and how to use them. I would like to use them for healing." She stood in place waiting for a response and the women was quick to direct her. "We have a card catalog at the end of the section here." She pointed to Alex's left side. "We also have a section here if you would rather just browse." And with that she began to swim off.

Even with her steps being so labored here Alex had never considered going for a swim. Her fear of water and her fear of death were a large part of why but now it seemed so obvious.
Pushing off of the ground she did her best to keep up with the swift librarian. While this was still faster then walking Alex was by no means a speedy swimmer, she was barley able to keep herself afloat. After expending much more energy then she ever thought possible in a library they both came to a stop at the end of a row of book. The ghostly figure leading the way checked in with the red head before swimming off gracefully back to whatever it was she was doing.

From here Alex thumbed through books looking for something simple. Volumes upon volumes were written on any topic she could desire here but many of them were much to advanced or expected expert knowledge in one subject or another. With her heart still racing it was hard to decipher even the simplest of texts but she would push on. The task at hand proved to be rater tedious, just what she needed to regain some focus and forget about everything around her.

An hour must have passed before she found the first written notes she could understand. The first would be a simple text laying out how to make a burn cream. Several others followed, some in this book and other in the next few she pulled off the shelf. These lead her to more book leading deeper and deeper into the plants themselves. Before she knew it she had 10 books stacked neatly one on top of another. Some had recipes for various treatments to simple afflictions. Others had details on herbs, plants and other materials used for each. It would be no time before each of the books were on the floor each open to a different page with Alex sitting in the middle jotting down notes. Doing her best she added as much detail as possible to each mixture, its ingredients and how it was all prepared.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 17th, 2018, 5:07 am

The first medicine to make it on the list would be a simple lip balm. It would use mint, moss, alcohol and some bees wax. "Easy enough" Alexandra thought to herself as she read this list over and copied it down using her quill and a bit of green ink. Next to each one she listed the amount needed. Just below the list she added detailed instructions copying them almost word for word leaving room below for more notes and information thinking she may need that moving forward.

The next page would be all about alcohol as she kept thing in alphabetical order. The information here was a bit more vague then she had hoped but perhaps it was all the same. People used all kinds to have the same outcome, who much difference could there be?

Mint was up next and she took her time trying to sketch in an accurate image of mind. Using about a third of the page to do so made it a bit easier but she was no artist. Moving from here she listed the location, preparation, and care instructions she could find. Flipping through a few other books she added notes on other uses for mint.

Repeating the same thing for moss she drew an image, or more of a green blob on the page before turning to the next. Care and gathering instructions were added noting that the type of moss may be important. 'Some mosses are mildly toxic and proper care should be used' was the next bit jotted down before she listed other uses.

Wax was the last thing on the list of ingredients. This one would be a little more interesting to draw, she was sure to add a few bees to the page. When going over the instructions for gathering the wax she stopped and decided to just write 'buy this in the market. If unavailable honeycomb can be rendered into wax by boiling in cloth.' As it did not seem worth the trouble of keeping bees. Additional uses seemed and properties seemed to be so many.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 20th, 2018, 2:37 am

This recipe should be satisfactory for taking care of dry skin and chapped lips but that was only the start of things. A mild inconvenience to say the least compared to the countless burns she had sustained during her time learning the kiln. Surely she would need something to help her heal those wounds as they were bound to pop up. In Wind Reach this would not be an issue as they had so many people who could take care of things but here in Alvads she was on her own.

It took some time and a few more books before she found something simple enough to make. Many of the formulas took a long time or had many ingredients she was unsure of. Finally coming across a book titled 'Splendidly simple salves' she found what she was looking for. Reading through the list of ingredients she smiled as thoughts of the please smells danced in her mind.

The ingredients are simple enough, honey, lavender oil, chamomile and buckthorn oil. The majority of these listed as optional. It seemed like honey was the only thing required at all but reading further each ingredient aided the healing process.

After writing down the list of ingredients and how much of each she started listing out parts starting with chamomile. The flower looked pretty and she did her best to capture them in a drawing. Without having to look she knew one use and jotted it down first.

Seeing buckthorn after looking over the list she said a few curses in her native tongue and set everything down. Frustrated she flopped back down on the floor and sprawled out taking in a deep breath. Her eyes got really wide when she realized she was under water again. "Illusion, this is all an illusion."

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 20th, 2018, 3:53 am

Closing her eyes she took the moment to center herself again. A few deep breaths was all it took, something she was getting better at. She opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Looking back over at the page in her book she shook her head. "It doesn't have to be perfect it just has to work."

Now with larger letter then before she wrote buckthorn. This was an herb the little redhead had no experience with. Digging through what seemed like times and tomes of information she took in as much as she could only taking down some simple notes.

Only one book mentioned that this oil can, in some cause dehydration and other intestinal problems.
She found it highly amusing that it was often refereed to as sea buckthorn but it did not come from the sea.

Bees were amazing little critters. Honey had healing properties, the wax was just as useful. Drawing a jar and a few bees she smiled quickly flipping the page.

Lavender was the lady thing on her list. Much like buckthorn lavender was best in oil but could be used in many forms. Extracting these fluids was going to require a little more research. Having a great smell and a great color lavender was a perfect addition to this. A small smile tugged at her lips thinking about the smell. Like other items this also had many uses. Taking down a few more notes she listed them off.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 23rd, 2018, 6:36 am

Once again Alex remembered where she was only this time the struggle was not quite so hard. Getting to her feet she still refused to swim. She walked from book to book at a snails pace gathering each of them into a pile. In a separate pile she gathered her belongings making sure to leave her book open while the ink dried. This would give her enough time to shelve the books, putting each one back into its rightful place. Lucky for her she had a general idea of where each one went.

Looking for the spot in on the shelf the first book went was easy enough. The books next to it had leaned over leaving a noticeable gap. The second book would be a little harder as several books were out of place here. Pushing one book into the gap the markings written on the spine began to glow. This seemed to be a code of numbers and letters but Alex was unsure of the meaning. A few seconds later the book slid off the shelf and slowly floated to the left. Furrowing her brow she watched as the book stopped in front of another opening and slowly drifted towards the floor. Reaching out into the fluid all around her, time seemed to freeze as each of her actions and reactions slowed. Shoving the book into the slot it stopped at the runes once again began to glow along with the books on either side. Taking a moment to study the runes Alex noticed that they seemed to be going in some kind of order.

Common not being her first language she was delighted to find the system was a simple alphanumeric one. One before Two A before Z was all she would have to remember. The next few books would return home to the place they were plucked from until she came across something in the system that did not seem to fit. She stopped and stared at the section hard before pushing the last book into the slot she thought it might belong. The book next to it soon found its way off the shelf and again Alex grabbed at it.

This book however had other plans and briskly moved just out of her reach. She swiped at the book a few more times and each time the book moved just out of her reach. With a shrug she decided to give up. This book was not something she was using and not something she really had any interest in. Turning her back to it she started to walk back towards her things. Not three steps in she felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder she saw nothing. Shacking her head she just carried on once more. Another few steps would be all she took before something pushed hard in the middle of her back. Losing her footing she fell forward but the water surrounding her managed to catch her. Pushing off the ground she spun like a top almost floating in place, the book floating behind her.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 25th, 2018, 4:53 am

Arms out and hair flowing out behind her in the water she saw the same leather bound book floating behind her. The hard binding flipped open then the pages began to quickly flip showing many figures. The scene started with one figure above all of the others with hands open as several lower figures seemed to jump up and cheer. The pages went blank for just a moment before they showed a stage with a large crowd of people. Performers were acting out a play about a knight and a dragon. The dragon ate the knight and the crowed once again cheered. The pages then, in very large letters as the crowed cheered Ionu. The books slammed possible and sank to the floor at an unnatural speed.

For a moment she considered what she just saw. She figured that some theater group must have been bestowed some gift from Ionu or at the very least been favored. Alex, now on her feet again didn't notice as the world around her changed. Instead she just looked at the ground under fer feet giving only thought to the idea that she might want to see a performance by this troop.

While Alex was lost in thought the book had already taken to its own transformation. The book flipped open to the middle and the pages started to fold. quickly one page would fold into the next and so forth until it started to take on another form entirely. When she looked up the transformation had almost been completed in its entirety and all that remained were the final bits of wings the origami dragon. Looking at the folded paper before her she couldn't help but smile. It stood almost twice the height of this petite women but it was entirely made of paper. When finished the dragon arched its back taking in a deep breath before letting out a roar. Now this was a little more terrifying.

Taking two steps back with ease she realized the water was no longer hindering her movement. This also took away some advantage she might have. Looking quickly to her left and then her right a single desk remained in the blackness that now surrounded her. On it was her notebook, ink and quill. No weapons and no place to run or hide what was she to do next?

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 27th, 2018, 2:55 am

Alex would improvise of course. Shifting her weight onto her left foot she pushed off hard and moved as fast as she could over to her right. She was not sure just how powerful this illusion was but being made of paper how much trouble could it be, its bark much be much scarier then its bite could possibly be. "This is going to be fun." She said in her native tongue before she bit her lower lip. Thrusting her hands out in front of herself she reached for the table as a way to stop as quickly as possible. The table slid backwards nearly a foot when she slammed into it nearly sending the contents as well as the girl onto the floor.

Struggling to stay on her feet she clutched at the table as she tried to move around it quicker then her feet would allow. Putting the table between the dragon and herself she thought she would feel a little more at ease but her heart raced faster than ever. With a thud and the sound of crunching parchment the beast ambled forward. The eyes of the beast fixed on Alex the entire time as it lumbered forward stopping a few feet from her. With lightning reflexes she plucked the quill from the bottle of ink toppling the bottle over, her eyes fixed on the beasts the entire time. Taking the quill she quickly outlined a sword in mid air before the quill founds its place in her left hand and this green inkblot outlined sword founds its place in her right.

A small smile tugged at her red lips as she readied herself for an attack. Putting the quill between her teeth she gripped the bastard sword in both hands and ran around the table quickly taking a wild swing at the dragon. "The pointy end goes in the other guy." She mutters mid-swing as the dragon sidesteps her assault without to much trouble. Spinning its tail moved around and round its way between her legs sending Alex to the floor and the sword several feet away.

Flat on her back it took Alex a second to realize what had just taken place. Meanwhile the dragon ached its back taking in a long breath. Pushing herself up to her knees Alex realized she might not have much time and grabbed the quill quickly drawing a kite shield to hide behind. Lurching forward the dragon used its breath weapon and brightly colored confetti shot out. The shield took the majority of the damage, confetti stuck in the shield. The shield however was not impregnable and a few pieces of confetti managed to make its way around leaving Alex with several paper cuts.

by **Alexandra Gainsborough** on March 27th, 2018, 3:39 am

Dropping the shield she darted to the left as quickly as she could move trying to keep and eye on all parts of the beast. Height was an advantage she she didn't realize she had as the beast stretched out its wing. Ducking it narrowly missed her head and she managed to put a little more distance between herself and this monster. Her legs and her cheek began to sting but the adrenaline rushing through her body would soon take care of that. The animal once again slowly moved towards her and she slowly stepped back keeping her eyes fixed on the creatures.

The fiend let out another deep roar as it advanced. Reaching up The redhead brushed some of her locks out of her face. As her fingertips brushed against her cheek her face burned from the thin cut dribbling a bit of crimson fluid. Looking down for only a second she noticed her fingertips stained with blood and anger started to well up inside of her. All expression washed off of her face and she took in a slow steady breath while flicking the pen up and slowly drawing a bow. The ink hoovered in the air waiting for her to finish its construction. Grasping it tightly with her left hand she ran jogged backwards a keeping a little distance between the pair.

Scribbling a few more arrows into the air in front of herself she crouched on the ground setting the bow at her feet. She took a moment to gather handfuls of her hair and gather it into a bun before jamming the quill into it. Standing up slowly her eyes fixed on the beast she grabbed one of the arrows and nocked it into her bow. Taking in a breath she held it and released the arrow. Flying forward with lightning speed it made its way towards the target but with a quick flap of its wings the monster launched itself into the air scattering countless pages.

Grabbing another arrow Alex darted forward trying to keep the same distance between her and the creature. Twenty yards, targets were always twenty yards out during practice. She nocked another arrow as the beast took in a long breath again. Coming to an abrupt stop she pulled the arrow back and held a breath letting the arrow rip through the air. Confetti started to spray as the arrow tore a hole into the paper wing sending the creature earthbound again.

Confetti began to rain down from the sky as pages shot out like a cloud of dust. Alex reached once more for the quill and waited for the dust to settle. One it did the beast was gone only to be replaced by a leather bound book once more. Dropping the bow she slowly stepped over to it the cover read, just now realizing a connection. 'Ionu and The Inverted'

Completed Struggling to swim