[The Great Library] When Shadows Rise (Mirage)

[Ignotus Everto]

90th of Fall, 512AV

It was a curious feeling, to be home. A tingling in the gut, and a prickling that brushed one's cheeks like an autumn breeze. Whilst Ignotus Everto was born and raised in Zeltiva, it was here, amongst an infinite number of books, with an infinite amount of time to take in every last one, that he felt like he truly belonged. It wasn't just that, however. For once, the dominant race was Nuit. No worry about racists, no explanations and annoying jokes. Just perfect understanding. For once, Ignotus was among brothers. However, he was also amongst wizards as shrewd as himself. It was rare that the Hypnotist should feel fear, but he never felt quite secure in Sahova, even if he did feel like he belonged.

However, the fear for one's life and over intelligent bedfellows were mere inconveniences in the light of the library. The library, the library, the beautiful library. Ignotus must have spent a day and a night there when he was finally allowed peace.

The Nuit had devoured A Contemporary Guide To Glyphs,
delighted in The Elements And Derivatives Thereof, and diligently read through Into the Void, How Not To Fall. The third was a lucky find; he had been searching for a practical guide to new magic in Zeltiva's library with mixed success, but here... Oh by Sagallius' beard, here... Here he could find everything.

The Nuit was halfway through The Seven Circles of Summoning before realizing the most curious thing. Whilst the library was often quiet, the sound of Catalog Golems, and his undead compatriots, who adhered to the same schedule he did, was missing. Indeed, the rustle of turning pages seemed to be the only noise at all. This warranted investigation.

Ignotus, who had been sitting at one of the many desks available, tenderly shut the magic manual and languidly rose to his feet. He didn't like abandoned rooms, especially rooms as important as a library. And knowing the other Nuit, he wouldn't put it past one to try to bump him out of the way, if only for sport.

[Mirage]

The silence was deafening, encompassing, consuming in fact. The Catalog golems did not move for there was need for them too at the moment, and for some odd and unknown reason Ignotus had found himself on one of those rare occasions where the Library was completely empty. It could be that everyone was within their own labs, seeing to preparations for the coming season, putting together Grant requests and seeing to their apprentices, but whatever the reasons Ignotus had found himself completely and utterly alone. Well... as far as he could tell.

The Great Library was illuminated by some strange unnatural light from above, while candles sat upon the tables and stood in tall stands between bookshelves. Normally this room was always lit, always bright for reading and study, yet suddenly the great light, the illumination from above suddenly extinguished and all that was left was the flickering light cast by the candles.

As with all candle light, shadows seemed to dancer around the pedestals, circling and flickering in time with the flame. Such an odd sight, if one stopped to think. Shadows, things of darkness that always looked as if they were reaching, trying to grasp at the light cast by the flaming wick. It was as if they were dancing, religiously praying to the flame, to the light that they wished for yet could never obtain because of their very nature... Yet stranger still the shadows in the Library this time danced just a bit more vigor, and they did not quite match the timing of the wavering candle.

From between the bookshelves there came soft sounds like whispering, words spoken in a strange and foreign tongue unlike anything Ignotus had ever heard before. They seemed to be coming from deeper within the library where the candle's light could not reach. It was dark, pitch black where no light could reach and there was no telling what it could be. Was it a trap? Could it be an opportunity? Things in Sahova were never as they appeared, and it could never be certain what was held within the darkness. The door to leave the Library was still open, if he chose to take the safer path.

[Ignotus Everto]

Shadows. Why was it always shadows?! Whilst it was completely possible he was just seeing things, Ignotus' experiences with Sagallius had given him a delightful dollop of paranoia when shadows started talking. Res pushed itself out from the Nuit's pores and swirled around him in thin, ropy wisps of fog. While he didn't dare set it alight- If he singed one corner of one page of one book, shadows would be the least of his worries- a glow, however faint, could assist him, especially if he found himself attacked. Now, to investigate these whispers...

While Sahova was nothing but wizards, Ignotus was almost certain the living shadows were the work of the divine. Perhaps the Puppeteer playing with him again? But then, this didn't quite seem like Sagallius' style. He'd want entertainment, and cautious stepping was rarely entertainment. It hopefully wasn't an angry God either- No doubt he would already be dead if it was. A test, then? But whose? And, more importantly, for what?

"They never can make it easy, can they? But then, I suppose I'd need stimulation too after an eternity or three."

Walking in blind would be suicide if it did turn out to be the God that marked him, so Ignotus extinguished one of the candles with a quick puff of air attracted by a flicking thread of Res, and scooped it up. To the candle he fastened a Cordas string, then tossed the into the heart of the darkness. The plan was to wait thirty ticks, then reel it back. If the string broke, then that meant the candle was most likely destroyed, and he would be as well if he stepped in. If it came out mangled, the same logic would apply. If it came out whole, then, and only then, would he be confident enough to abandon the light and walk into the shadow.

[Mirage]

Ignotus would not have to wait long to see the results. As soon as the candle was lost in the darkness he would feel something bump his foot. Looking down he would see... the candle. It looked as if it had rolled from under one of the bookshelves, and he could be certain it was the same one for his string of Chordas was still attached to it. There was nothing under the shelf however, nothing but shadows...

The whispering would continue, and suddenly Ignotus would fill a tug on the string. The candle would roll back under the shelf, and then be tossed back out of the shadows right at Ignotus' head. The shadows stirred and began to visibly dance on their own accord. What's more, the darkness seemed to be pressing in, drawing closer and closer around Ignotus until he could not see more than a few feet in any direction. The whispering would continue, urging him, beckoning him to push forward, deeper into the darkness. It was either that or make a dash for the door, wherever that might be.

[Ignotus Everto]

To say Ignotus was perturbed by a candle breaking the laws of physics and bumping him from behind when he had thrown it forward was an understatement. The Nuit jumped a little, and by the time he had twisted around fully to face the candle, it had conked him on the head. While a mortal would have likely been able to duck it, Ignotus' inferior reflexes meant that he only realized he had been bopped after the fact. "Sorry!" he muttered. "I'm talking to a shadow." he thought with a fair bit of bemusement.
"But a shadow's talking to me."

In a way, it felt more comforting than hostile, however. It wasn't a particularly hard knock, and the shadows seemed to be more upset than hostile. It was around then that he paused. "And now they have personali... Sure. Why not. At least they don't shred flesh."

Scooping up the candle from the floor, Ignotus re-lit it with a droplet of Res that branched off from the mist surrounding him, set it back in its holder, and walked directly into the shadows where the whispers were loudest. Turning back seemed ridiculous to him- They would have chucked something much heavier than a candle if they wanted him dead- and why on Mizahar would he turn away from something so fascinating?

Living shadows! Living shadows with, if appearances were any indication, thoughts and feelings of their own! The flame would prevent the candle from being moved by shadows alone, and the Cordas string would let him find his way back, as long as he stayed within thirty feet of his starting point. With the fear of getting lost gone, there was nothing stopping him from strolling- happily, even- into a new mystery.

[Mirage]

The shadows surrounded him, clung to him, pulled at him. It was as if they were welcoming him, and the whispers grew louder and louder the deeper into the darkness he went. Then suddenly a pair of eyes appeared in the darkness, shining points of dark violet, and Ignotus would feel a hand grasp him at his throat.

"Silly boy. You're in my domain now..."

He was pulled forward, the force of it sweeping him off his feet as the chordas line snapped and he was dragged into the shadows. Then there was nothing. He could see nothing, could feel nothing, could hear nor taste nor smell anything. Ignotus found himself in a void, someplace that held absolutely nothing. There was nothing to hold onto, nothing to grasp at. He could not tell if he was even moving at all, until his face suddenly hit something hard.

Ignotus would find himself within a large cavern. There was no light, no flame, yet he would find he could see perfectly find. A few feet away, sitting comfortably on top of a rocky outcropping with one foot dangling and the other leg pulled up to her chest, there was a woman. Her skin was a dark blue, hair black as night and eyes shimmering violate points. Around her darkness moved, shadows clung to her, twisted in her hair. She wore the darkness as if it were clothing, and when she spoke the world of night trembled, "Welcome Ignotus Everto. Do you know who I am?"

[Ignotus Everto]

While it was strange to be deprived of one's senses, the gentle influence of the Cordas string served to soothe Ignotus' slightly frayed nerves. And the shadows weren't that bad... In a way, they were somewhat comforting, wrapped around him like a protective cloak, shielding him from the violence outside...

The violence inside, on the other hand, was a different story. While a hand at the throat was not as distressing to him as it would be to a mortal- He had no need to breathe, and so seizure by the throat was the same as seizure by the upper arm- it was still not the most pleasant thing to feel. Nor was being yanked forward, or experiencing total sensory blackout. The thought vaguely crossed Ignotus' mind that this total emptiness was not unlike what he had read about the Void, but that thought was cut short by his nearly breaking his nose on something.

He was in a cave completely deprived of light, and yet he could see without difficulty. No doubt more divine magic. It was good, too, or he would not have gotten quite as good a look as what was undoubtedly a Goddess. Given the shadows' affection for her, it was only natural to assume she was the source of the dancing.

Immediately, he started going through deities' names in his head. Sagallius showed that Gods rather liked being recognized, and a little bit of favor went a long way in this particular game. Rhysol was male, and had white eyes, so she was most certainly not him. She had skin like an Akalak's, and the Nuit hazarded that was no coincidence.

"Who did they worship... She's definitely not Wysar, and Myri is worshiped by Myrians, not Akalaks. She's not Leth, Leth's a he... Darkness, darkness..."

Ignotus took a few ticks to straighten himself out and dust his cloak off before tapping his finger against his leg and giving the most amicable smile he could muster, "A very warm welcome indeed, my dear. Though the landing was a tad rough..." the wizard chuckled softly, hoping both to lighten the mood and soothe himself.

"Think... Darkness. Shadows. Aka... Oh. Well, that wasn't on the nose at all."

The Nuit dipped his head and bowed slightly, his arm twisting out in a light flourish. "It's an honor to meet you, Akajia. Though pray, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

[Mirage]

The Goddess smiled, "You think quick on your feet. I shall give you that much. Though I wonder if you really know WHO I am."

Darkness consumed her, and in an instant she was gone and Ignotus would feel a presence behind him, though when he looked no one would be there. All things were lost in shadows as suddenly he was deprived of all sight, "Ignotus Everto. I know of you. I know all things about you. All of your secrets, who you TRULY are..."

A gentle brush would be felt along his cheek, though he would not be able to feel anyone if he reached out.

"A man consumed in a lust for power. Who sought a life of death in exchange for any true happiness he could have obtained had he taken another path." The whispers grew louder as the shadows curled around Ignotus' feet, "You have traded your sanity, even your soul to obtain what was truly not meant to be yours."

Suddenly the Goddess' face would appear mere inches from Ignotus', her eyes burning violet with an expression so fierce it would be no surprise if she struk Ignotus down on the spot, "You are a liar above all else. You take and consume, you ravage and destroy, and if you were to live you would cause countless lives to be lost and blood to be shed. You are nothing but a puppet on stings, guided by a greater power than yourself, and yet you are foolishly ignorant of your own powerlessness. I should take from you this life you do not deserve..."

The face would disappear, and Ignotus would begin to feel hundreds of tiny hands, clawed nails digging into his skin all over his body. Suddenly he would feel like he was standing in mud, and the hands that gripped him were beginning to pull him under.

"Who am I Ignotus Everto... And why should I let you live?"

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus chuckled at his own biography, "Well, that's an awfully harsh way to put it. I'm very sane, and veryhappy- I would never have learned Animation or Projection if I hadn't become a Nuit, and I think that was worth a few decades' waiting."

The Hypnotist cocked his head to the side slightly when Akajia reappeared. After the murder-shadows and sadistic games of Sagallius, it was hard to frighten him. Of course, it also helped quite a bit that he was almost certain she was testing him. If she was anything like the other God he had encountered, it was never enough to simply say "Yes, you are interesting to me."

It really seemed rather silly to Ignotus- Did she just want to make sure he would react how she thought he would? If that was the case, he very much hoped she was hoping for him to call her bluff. Whilst sinking in mud was rather disconcerting, he only ever changed location when melting into shadows, and if she was angry at him, she would just rip him apart. Sagallius proved that. The simple fact that he was not incinerated was proof she'd rather he remained alive- As long as he met her expectations.

"Perhaps you are right. But I also think you're attempting to shake me. Now, as for who you are... That one should not be difficult." Movement and expression mattered little in total darkness, and so he spoke with a look of static intensity, staring forward, waiting for the shadows to part. "You are Night's Mistress, no? I can see by your many shadows that you both command them, and give them life. Or perhaps they were alive from the start? You are the night, and the shadows, and the keeper and seeker of secrets. In that respect, we are not so different. Yours are simply of a much greater scope and breadth."

The shadows, while painful, were not particularly frightening to Ignotus. He could not drown, and if she wanted him dead, she would have, once again, killed him already. He just needed to display his virtues. The ones that attracted him to her in the first place.

"So yes, I lie. And, occasionally, when circumstances demand, kill. How else may I keep my secrets to those that might seek them, or silence those that have ferreted them out in another way? I do not believe you disapprove of this- For while night is many things, what it isn't is morally inclined. It will devour both the Samaritan and the rogue, should they be careless. You are night's mistress, and you should let me live, lest you extinguish what spark has garnered your attention. I'd really like to discover a great deal more before I go... If I go... And I think you might like to watch me do so."

[Harrier]

For many ticks, the darkness grew still, beyond the oppressiveness of it. It blanketed him, a smothering presence that would not relent as its Mistress waited unseen, unheard, somewhere in its endless depths. The silence that pervaded was nearly as bad, a deprivation of all senses to the nuit.

And then, she was there again, her hand brushing across Ignotus' back, between his shoulders, and over the top as she came to his front. The hand left his form, the knowing smile she wore speaking volumes. "Then perhaps I can assist you." She replied. "If you can find your way home." Her hand reached to pat his cheek before withdrawing completely, leaving him surrounded in shadows and silence once again.

In the darkness there was nothing. No light for the eye to be summoned by, no tickle of sound to beckon the ear. It seemed to seep into everything, blanketing the flesh and coating it in its colorless shroud. It was in these moments when the goddess departed that Ignotus would notice a whispering. It was faint and unclear, confusing. They chattered and hissed in low tones...

Liar. Liar

Killer. Killer.

Can he find his way?

Their chattering rose around him, sometimes shouting, sometimes barely murmuring, yet through it all he found he could understand them now! it was an alien tongue to anything known on Mizahar, and yet here he knew it. He would also discover that even in the darkness there was light. It was faint and far away, and crept in shades of grey and blue, deep like midnight when Leth and Zintila are masked above a blanket of clouds. The whispers continued, swirling around him, some pressing against his ears in demanding tones.

Your fault. Your fault! All your fault!

They echoed like Daniel's taunts, as if berating the undead hypnotist, pushing at him to react. Would he find his way? It was clearly a test from the goddess, though the shadows did not feel purposefully malicious.

Not our friend; all your fault! A cascading echo that slowly, slowly faded, leaving him at last, alone to solve the mystery of how to get home seemingly on his own. The distant light must be the key.

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