Quest Shelving Books

[Elysium]

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The interior of the Library buzzed as apprentice Seekers ran stacks of paper back and forth between hallways. This orgy of movement was only contrasted by the stoic silence of its patrons, readers methodically picking their way down packed shelving. It was a very interesting scene within the structure’s bloodless walls. Furthermore, it was one the average individual would not typically expect. Then again, Bharani was no typical library.

It was his first week on the job and Fraint was assigned a Seeker to guide him through the usual affairs. He had been doing quite well considering his recent transition, which Sayeo had iterated on more than one occasion. The boy had a keen eye for information. It however, was his curious mind this day that drove things along. It all began with the question: What is a Seeker? This would merely open the floodgates he was sure, but every great story began as such.

”A Seeker is a servant of Eyris, the Goddess of Wisdom.” He shot Fraint a grin, anticipating the onslaught. ”She is said to be one of the oldest gods, as all knowledge originates from her.” It was a tale he knew well and told often, given the recent increase in outside employees. ”They say to look upon her is to perceive yourself – for everyone she meets, she reflects their origin. To me, a human… She appeared nothing but a humble young virgin, a human girl.”

The implication that he’d met the Goddess would most certainly set Fraint off, foreshadowing the inevitable. ”Tell me,” he asked conversationally, steering them as they shelved books. ”What is a man with a mind such as yours doing in Lhavit? Not that I’m complaining.” The grin broadened. ”There’s always use for imagination around here.”
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[Fraint]

Fraint trailed the Seeker like an obedient puppy, his light steps creating slight tapping sounds throughout the library, soon to be muffled and lost in the quiet, but enthusiastic, buzz of the Bharani Library. Fraint’s gaze followed the interior of the grand building, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, reflecting his approval of the whole facility. The quiet grin leaked into his countenance, his mood lifting as he jovially eyed the thousands of books that seemed to be everywhere in the grandeur of the palace known as the Bharani Library. His gaze trailed back to the man in front of him, a Seeker who was quite clearly wiser than him in almost every way. Fraint was wary enough to limit the barrage of questions that seemed to be just waiting to explode on the tip of his tongue. It was his first meeting with the man—he didn’t want to create a bad first impression of himself. He wanted to retain at least a smidgen of dignity within his fleshy walls. Fraint had, however, asked questions—it wouldn’t make sense if he didn’t. It would be queer, unconventional to his character. His curiosity was a much higher priority than Fraint’s petty pride. He had just come around with a simple question: What exactly is a Seeker? Fraint wasn’t disappointed in what exited the Seeker’s lips. “Eyris?” he inquired, tilting his head, and returning the grin with one of his own. His tone was polite, but there was a hint of youthful impatience in it, as though he expected the Seeker to continue. His interest in the Goddess of Wisdom was to be expected. He wished for wisdom, but if somebody asked him why, he wouldn’t have been able to answer. His thoughts dwelled on the troubling matter, but his attention was swiftly diverted at the subtle hint that the Seeker dropped. “You’re saying you’ve … met this alleged Goddess of Wisdom?” Fraint could not hold back the curious tone in his voice. However, the man moved onto a different topic. Fraint made a mental note in his head to return to the celestial encounter, in due time. He offered the man a sheepish grin. “Well. Lhavit was the land of my dreams. My grandfather, a wonderful storyteller, made this place seem like the loveliest of places.” Fraint breathed a sigh, though it wasn’t due to vexation. “He wasn’t wrong. It’s a beautiful place, and there are many opportunities for a man like me to learn.” He chuckled, as though he had a reason to be ashamed of his hunger for knowledge. He was originally in pursuit of the Goddess of the Stars, but now that the Goddess Eyris had entered the picture, he couldn’t hold it back. “But … tell me about this Eyris that you seem to have encountered.” He eyed the man, a hint of awe in his voice. “What exactly did you do?” OOCI'm sorry this is so late!

[Elysium]

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Sayeo, the Seeker in question, was a relatively non-descript fellow. He bore the uniform robes as did all Seekers, the material draping across his wiry frame. It was hard to dislike him – he carried a wolfish grin and a ready wit, quite making up for his poor eyesight. He saw into the heart of things, despite what sat before him. It was a unique talent and his ascent through the ranks had been swift. With the advancement of the years however, he found himself unable to venture out into the Misty Peaks with the expeditions. His days of adventuring were over. Instead he opted to train initiates, new employees to the organization. It wasn’t always a glamorous job, but necessary and something he enjoyed doing nonetheless.

”Sure as I’m standing, I met her.” He chuckled. ”To join our ranks, you must undergo an initiation that leads you to her. It’s orchestrated by the senior members and usually fraught with puzzles and the like.” Sayeo lifted a book from the stack they were shuffling through and turned open the cover. ”If you’d like to know more, we have plenty of light reading for your idle moments.” Eyes twinkling, he plopped the book down beside Fraint and continued to check the others.

”You’re lovestruck. Everyone is when they first arrive,” he continued, fixing him with a steady gaze. ”Lhavit is singular in it’s beauty. But not all that glitters is gold, or so the saying goes.” His eyes were brown to match his unruly hair. ”If you want a wild tale, we can talk about the Day of Discord. We’re a group of modest folk, not like the landscape might suggest. Things get just as ugly around here as anywhere else in Mizahar.” There was a bitter reminiscence in his stare.

”Still,” he pressed on, ”It’s a shade better than Kalinor and we’re not always hungry like Skyinarta. Living on a mountain can be tough, but we’ve made the best of it.” He smiled at that, his expression softening. ”Back to Eyris. You asked what I did?” The man’s chest swelled with pride. ”I went on a merry chase through the Peaks, looking for my hat. You see, you don’t see your initiation coming. It’s sprung on you like a hungry mountain cat. You do the best you can with the resources given. Many fail because they don’t realize what’s even going on.” He laughed, a booming sound.

”You never really know a man until you catch him with his trousers down.” The merriment died out, fading. ”I found it at the base of a pool that put me right to sleep, where I dreamed a great many things. In the dreams she came to me, but only after I solved five riddles in a row. When I woke, I was marked.” He held up his wrist, where a silver strip gleamed. It was twisted here and there, almost three dimensional in orientation. ”Do you know what a gnosis is?” He realized that perhaps his young student did not.

OOCSorry about the delay from me as well!
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[Fraint]

His ears remained attentive to the man, latching onto every word that exited his lips. His eyes were lit up with a quiet excitement, his heart rate increasing by a smidgen. The way his body anticipated the next words made it seem as though Fraint were anticipating his sentences to flow into an epic quest of self-realization, packed with puzzles, riddles and obstacles for the mind, in hope of achieving the acknowledgement of Eyris. He didn’t know why he expected it—perhaps it was the way the Seeker carried himself, or perhaps it was just the fact that the man seemed to be capable of a good story. Either way, he couldn’t help but feel a tiny sliver of disappointment when he moved onto another topic. Fraint reminded himself to, once again, return to the topic. Fraint couldn’t do anything else but shrug sheepishly. He was right, after all—Lhavit was a place hard to hate. He couldn’t bring himself to direct a negative thought towards it. However, as the man had hinted, he suspected the darker side of the celestial city. He nodded solemnly, also filing his curiosity for the Day of Discord inside the archives at the back of his mind, promising that he’d make sure to get back to it. The Seeker continued, diving into palaver. The corner of his lip twitched, threatening to break into a slight smile. The man was hard to hate. He, once again, bobbed his head up and down in agreement—Lhavit did seem better off, considering the location of the city. His eyes lit up with glee once more as the subject of conversation swiveled back to what exactly it was he did to earn the approval of the Goddess of Wisdom—he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was as eager as he was back when he was a young boy reveling at the stories told by his grandfather. A flutter inside his chest occurred as he recalled the nostalgic memories momentarily, before his attention was directed back at the Seeker’s tale. However, he lost Fraint at the first sentence. His head tilted slightly, his visage a question mark, before the man could continue. The wave of understanding was apparent as the man went on, before bellowing into a small bout of laughter. Fraint politely joined in, an artificial chuckle escaping him. The trend of nodding and smiling at the appropriate times to let him know he was still caught in his story continued until the end, where the wolfish man shot a question his way. Before answering, however, Fraint took the time to study the marking on his wrist; intricate, detailed and strangely archaic. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tackled the question. Slowly, he spoke. “No . . . I’m afraid I’ve only heard of it before in stories, but never exactly found out what it was.” Fraint looked up at the man, his eyes telling him that many questions were being left unanswered, and that he was probably going to roll the conversation along for a long time. Questions, questions, questions.

[Elysium]

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Sayeo peered at Fraint, clearly amused. ”I see,” he replied, grasping for where to begin. Assuming the boy had a less than basic understanding of magic, he would have to explain a whole host of concepts. It would be an interesting way to pass the time, at any rate. ”A gnosis is god-magic,” he began. ”Like other magics, it allows the wielder to do incredible things. This,” he the design up again, ”is where Eyris touched me.” He smiled, submerged in a memory.

”She reached out her hand and caressed me. It tingled, as I recall. I’ll never forget looking into those eyes… It was like staring at a never-ending page, a book of every thought man has ever known...” He sighed, breaking from his reverie. ”When an individual attracts a God’s attention, they can be marked… For better or worse.” He tapped the tip of his nose. ”These marks are named according to who gives them, and they all do different things. Unlike other magic, they don’t require your own djed. You can access them anytime so long as you have one.”

He picked a book off the shelf from where Fraint had just placed it. ”Mine is called Lykata. It allows me to know the nature of things.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. ”This book was written to make a living.” Pictures and ideas danced beneath his eyelids. ”The man has hair of midnight and a threadbare cloak. He looks careworn.” He exhaled, opening his eyes. The cover read: ”Pre-Valterrian Wonders of the World, by Samael Talest.”

He squinted at the gilded lettering. ”Now, I have been honored but once. A god can increase their subject’s power by granting them these marks. The more marks, the more power. I only get the impression of who made something or what they were thinking when it was made. There are others who could tell you everything about an object from a single touch.” That would certainly get the boy’s attention.

”Have you ever considered being a Seeker? Between the Towers, the Academy and the Library here, we have the largest general base of knowledge in all of Mizahar.” He grinned. If that wasn’t a hard sell, he didn’t know one.
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[Fraint]

Fraint couldn’t help himself. He was completely enraptured by Sayeo’s tale from the beginning. Though the rest of his face remained perpetually passive, his eyes twinkled with a child’s excitement. He felt just like a young boy, sitting on his grandfather’s lap, clapping with delight by the hearth as his grandfather wove his intricate story. A god-magic. His mind immediately went to Zintila, the Goddess of the Stars. Did she have a gnosis? If she did, how would she be able to get her attention? How would he conduct himself? Was he really in the position to throw himself at a celestial deity that was shrouded in a thick, clandestine veil of enigma? If he really sat down and thought about it, he’d realize that Zintila was a mysterious individual. Fraint always told himself it added to Her charm, but what if there was something else? Something . . . darker? His turbulent thoughts turned over to Eyris, the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge. What kind of gnosis did she have? What did it do? He had to admit, despite his so-called revel for Zintila and Her story, Eyris also struck him as the kind of deity he’d follow. He was the kind of guy that was constantly in intellectual pursuit. As though Saeyo were reading his mind, he answered the question that tumbled about Fraint’s mind (that, at the moment, seemed quite hollow), and Fraint just barely picked it up. His head shot up, and gazed at Saeyo curiously as he breathed in and closed his eyes, handling the ancient tome that he’d just put away with great care. His head tilted. That or he could just be putting on a very good show for him. As per typical, his natural cynicism swept in and stole the fun out of everything. Still . . . he could be telling the truth. And if he were, then . . . Fraint eyed the book, an eyebrow cocked upwards. He didn’t know if he bought it. He wanted to buy it, but it was far-fetched. Well, he did know that Gods and Goddesses existed, thanks to his grandfather, who was a hardcore believer in them. And, if that was the case, he supposed anything was possible. Still. Even if that were the case, he didn’t know if Sayeo actually had a gnosis. But, knowing anything about an object with a single touch? That was amazing. “A single touch?” he repeated, unable to erase the awe in his tone. One thing that was too good to be true. One thing that he wanted. A lot. Fraint rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, biting his lower lip. Becoming a Seeker would be a wonderful experience. He was torn between Eyris and Zintila, two Goddesses that caught his attention. Could he be faithful to two? “It certainly sounds wonderful. Especially to somebody like me,” he answered quietly, his tone sincere. He looked up at Saeyo, eyes hopeful. “Does . . . do you know if the Goddess Zintila offers a gnosis?” He paused. “And, say, in the future, if I were interested in . . . earning a gnosis. How would one do it?” He was certain he sounded strange. He knew it. OOCI noticed there's no timestamp. Am I allowed to pick?

[Elysium]

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Sayeo continued to organize the crate full of books as he replied, inspecting each one before placing it among the multitude of stacks. ”Aye, almost every god has a mark.” How little did Fraint really know? ”Zintila’s mark allows you to fashion skyglass, the very backbone on which Lhavit is created.” Squinting at a binding, he continued. ”You ever see those official looking people in the red robes? They’re the Seiza, also known as the Constellation.” With a grunt, he tossed the weathered old novel from whence it came. Grumbling to himself about apprentices, he waited politely for a reply before trudging on.

”They’re Zintila’s priesthood and every last one of them has her blessing. Groups of them venture out into the Misty Peaks to hunt for fallen stars. Her power allows them to harvest the material straight from the rock and what’s more, to shape it into whatever they wish.” If that didn’t entice him, nothing would. Sayeo was enjoying his little magic lesson. It wasn’t often that he found someone with so many questions about the world. ”They built the city into what it is today. Every last bench, ceiling and table fashioned out of skyglass was made by them alone.”

”To earn one?” That was a very interesting prospect. ”There are organizations such as ours or the Seiza that allow an individual to compete for a deity’s attention. However,” he grinned, ”that is but one way to attract a god.” There were many others, depending on the person and the higher power. ”Each god is characterized by what they represent. Each one has a unique personality and is attracted to both similar and opposing traits.” Tossing another faceless leather tome into the crate, he sighed. ”There is no set method, but I might be of some use on a case by case basis.” Since Fraint had so many questions, he could only be prefacing the one he truly had in mind. He was simply working himself up to it.

”Now, is it truly Zintila you’re interested in?” Why not just jump straight to the heart of things? ”Or perhaps you’re not sure? The Seiza do not fashion skyglass for personal use. It is all utilized for construction, for the good of the city. Perhaps you should read up on different gods and their lore.” Struck by the idea, he again scanned the shelves where they were at work to recommend yet another set of reading. ”Try this,” he said, handing Fraint a nearly immolated copy of ’The Complete Pantheon, by Gessep Ulthor. ”It’s pretty faded but as accurate as they come. Gessep was a wanderer with far too much time on his hands.”
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[Fraint]

Fraint observed Sayeo carefully; watching with unusual interest as the Seeker gingerly placed large tomes into neat stacks with grace that could only come from experience, leaving Fraint wondering if his dexterous handling of books was a small perk branching off of the gnosis he’d received from Eyris. How long would it take for him to be able to comfortably work in the Bharani Library? Even now, the sheer size of it weighed on his shoulders like a heavy burden, stacks upon stacks of books staring him down, daring him to make a mistake. “Every god,” he repeated solemnly, nodding his head quickly. Sayeo went on to explain Zintila’s mark and its many uses, as well as mentioning the Seiza, or the Constellation. Fraint watched with wide eyes as the Seeker carelessly tossed an old book back into the crate. It landed with a muffled thump amongst the other books, disturbing the dusty air. As Sayeo delved deeper into the world of the Seiza, Zintila’s priesthood, he dreamed about the possibility of him being amongst their ranks. He could imagine himself among the alleged followers of Zintila, clothed in a flowing robe crimson red, fashioning various objects with great skill out of skyglass for the greater good, otherwise known as the Lhavitians. “Every last one,” he echoed. He could be one of the privileged to build the city into an even greater one, which would no doubt make him look good in front of Zintila. He had to wonder, though: Was that what he really wanted? To spend the rest of his life building things for Lhavit? Although he was undoubtedly loyal to Lhavit, he expected his life to be a bit more . . . glamorous. At last, Sayeo entertained the prospect of earning a gnosis. Fraint awaited the answer eagerly, and was not so disappointed by what he heard as he was confused. You could compete for a deity’s attention? For sure, a deity would choose only the worthy ones to earn a gnosis, but if you were supposed to compete against somebody else for it . . . Fraint suddenly wasn’t so sure of himself. Alas, there was no set method to gaining a gnosis, so the little flicker of hope inside of Fraint remained aflame. When questioned about his loyalty towards Zintila, he opened his mouth to speak, but was surprised to find that he hesitated. When Fraint put Eyris and Zintila beside each other inside his mind, he found that he had trouble choosing between one. Certainly, Zintila was the main reason he was in Lhavit to begin with, but now that the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom was in the equation, he wasn’t so sure. He lived for intellectual pursuit. Fraint could only shut his jaw and give Sayeo a completely blank expression, which told the old Seeker that, yes, he wasn’t sure at all. The Seiza only used skyglass for the sake of Lhavit, but once again, Fraint found himself wondering: Did he really want to sacrifice all of that for Lhavit? There were other things he could imagine creating out of skyglass . . . for himself. “Certainly,” he answered, though, once again, he hesitated. If he learned about more gods and goddesses, he was afraid his loyalty towards Zintila would waver even more. However, what was his faith if he could not put it to a test? If he found himself leaning towards Eyris, it meant that he did not truly look at Zintila in the way he thought he did. He reached for the book with conviction, quietly thanking Sayeo before running his gaze across the burned novel, gingerly feeling the crispy leather with nimble fingers. “I’ll be sure to read this.” It would most certainly keep him busy for the next few days. “Now,” he said, meeting Sayeo’s gaze, with intent to jump topics. It was a shame to leave the conversation about god-magic, but one particular subject had been jumping on the tip of his tongue for a while now. “Earlier, I believe you said something about the Day of Discord. What’s that?”

[Elysium]

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”Ah,” he replied, tone darkening. There was something ominous in his expression, something unfathomable. Like a true storyteller, he tasted the mood of each tale before diving straight in. ”That is a very long story, one fraught with pain. Around the year five-hundred, our Ethaefal patrons were sent from the city to serve Zintila’s will. That is Talora and Aysel for the record, two incredible individuals with a long past.” He straightened his eyeglasses. ”Lhavit was left in the Anchorite’s hands – the leader of the Constellation.”

The story slowed to a temporary halt as Sayeo gathered himself. Chewing at his lip, he chose his words carefully. ”Anchorite Hayani is a perfect representative of corruption.” The present tense was quite deliberate – he wanted this young man to know Hayani lived on. ”Before Talora and Aysel left, there had been harmony among the different factions. After their departure, something changed. The harmony dissipated, like leaves on the wind. Hayani abused her power by hoarding the city’s precious wealth. Lhavit’s powerful families followed suit and in five short years, they had virtually enslaved the working class. With the import of Dek from Wind Reach, common laborers became worthless.”

It was very obvious that Sayeo had lived through that time. He removed his glasses to rub at his eyes. ”My Father was killed right in front of me. Whipped to death. There are countless others who experienced the same. He’d given Weisur Twilight some insult – ran into him by accident or something of the like. I was just a young man, at the time.” Sighing, he continued on.

”When Talora and Aysel returned, both flew into a rage. Zintila had gone with them and the three immediately set to amending the mistakes. All the Dek were freed and given citizenship. Many of the prominent families were punished. Weisur Twilight was put to the sword. I could not bear to see.” Sayeo’s eyes were sad. ”Despite being forced to watch as a child, I refused to watch as a man.” He gave Fraint a piercing look. ”That was my choice.”

”As is this,” he said, gesturing to their surroundings. ”You can be faithful, no matter what god you serve. As long as you’re faithful to yourself.” He chuckled tonelessly.
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[Fraint]

Immediately, the mood bedimmed. Fraint licked his chapped lips, feeling the dark intensity of the atmosphere that Sayeo had evoked from only his words and expression. He’s a good storyteller, thought Fraint in admiration. The buzz of voices seemed to die down to hushed tones, leaving Fraint at the mercy of Sayeo’s tale. Fraint listened to Sayeo’s somber tale with rapt attention and bated breath, echoing Sayeo’s words in his mind like a mantra, soaking in the story like a sponge. He silently empathized with the death of his father, looking down at his feet when he saw him fiddle with his glasses to dry his eyes. Throughout the tragic account, Fraint felt a growing anger kindling in the pit of his stomach, reflected by nothing other than the fire in his eyes. He remained tight-lipped and kept his hands clasped together in a firm grip as the last of Sayeo’s words exited his mouth. The Library seemed to be completely silent to Fraint, but as he slowly came back to reality, the soft hum of muffled chatter reached his ears. Fraint looked up to gaze at Sayeo in the eye, whose visage were that of a sad dog. It struck a chord in him. He nodded to himself, looking down before drawing a deep breath. “Well, you failed to disappoint. A wild tale indeed,” he said with a wry, sarcastic grin. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. He didn’t want to dwell on the topic of conversation for too long, judging by how it affected Sayeo. He had, over their fleeting moments together, gained respect for him. However, his selfish need for answers plowed through his sympathy. He looked up once more, almost afraid to meet his gaze. Prepared to flinch, he asked: “I noticed you didn’t mention anything about what happened to Hayani. What happened to her? Does she still live today? Was she put to justice?” Answers were what he needed to rid him of the persistent, wallowing feeling of sadness mixed with anger.