Solo Lost Among Shelves

[Seleucus]

5th Day of Fall, 513 A.V.

The air was dry and stuffy with aroma of leather and parchment. The great library of Bharani steeped in it's usual hushed and meditative atmosphere as scholars and citizens alike studied the manuscripts that waited in the shelves and Seekers busied themselves within the giant archives. Bharani however, did not maintain this calm demeanor without a great deal of labor on part of aforementioned Seekers and their assistants. One such worker found himself reorganizing a shelf of text into alphabetical order this evening, bored with his work.

Seleucus was more concerned with the newly changed season than the task at hand. As he slotted author Licean before Licert but after Lars he found himself contemplating the blazing ruby flash from yesterday that heralded a time of harvests and endings and vibrant displays. Well it is certainly my gaudiest season, he thought. Already the child of Leth's was resplendent with hair streaked with flaming red-orange against the black of his summer locks and his horns faded from jade green at their bases to a burnished harvest moon yellow. Lorkin went after L'orha. And yet, there is a peace in all this drama. Just a few days ago he had seen an Okamo and noticed the thickness of the coat on it's ba-

“You there!” Yanked out of his contemplations by a stern Seeker garbed in traditional in white Seleucus turned about. The Seeker had brows like storm clouds floating over his serious face. “Seleucus?” Too quick for Seleucus to open his mouth the man cut back in, “Very well, I have a job for you.”

“Sir, I am busy with the shelving.” Seleucus replied, tacking on a quick bow in hopes of redemption.

“No matter, what is in store is much more important.” Those thunderhead brows knitting in consternation. “Any more smart comments, Leth Child?” For a fraction of a chime Seleucus was stunned. Never before since his arrival at the shining city had he heard anyone use such an irreverent tone with any of the honorifics often applied to his starry race. Quickly he wiped his face clean and ducked his head in deference to the Seeker.

“Of course Sir.”

“This way then. Chop, chop.” the old man whipped about and set off at a stunningly fast pace for such an old man and Seleucus had to struggle to keep up with him despite his long legs.

“What is this business sir?” asked Seleucus.

“A very important borrower has requested a book, and it has appeared to become lost..” replied the Seeker his stride not faltering for a second, “This manuscript is not only of immense value but brimming with rather dangerous knowledge. It is of the utmost importance we find it. Should it be lost the Bharani has the utmost need to find it, should it be stolen....well.” The stormclouds on his forhead pinched together. The scurrying rate of his walk slowed and he and the Ethaefal came to a halt in front of the World Magic section.

“I will be searching our vaults in case it has been misplaced. I need you to search this area from top to bottom no shelf goes untouched. You're looking for A Codex Of Alchemy And It's Secrets, bound in black, understood?”

Seleucus dipped his head in deference, “Of course Seeker.”

“Good, now chop chop!” and in a whirl of white robes and pattering steps the old man was gone. Seleucus turned and looked at the massive archive that confronted him. Well this might be a while.

[Seleucus]

The Arcana Tower was more than sizable, and to Seleucus's dismay the World Magic section proved to be the largest subset of the section. Shelves stretched up into the darkness of the high-ceiling and the aisles were long enough to called corridors. Every shelf was stacked with book upon book and many had cubbyholes bursting with scrolls and loose leaf manuscripts. To even think of finding a single book with no more information than the title was a daunting task, but one that lay in the hands of a library assistant either way.

Not to mention that the book in question has been lost, and probably isn't in it's respective spot. Seleucus hurried into the depths of the archive towards the Alchemy shelves, perhaps, if he was lucky, the book had simply been misplaced and quick perusal of the area would render it laying about in a forlorn corner, forgotten and dusty.

Upon arriving at an especially long shelf overflowing with books Seleucus had an eery feeling chance would not be so kind with him. Only one way to start,and that is the beginning. He walked up to where the alchemy books lay, and began his search. Seleucus's hands plucked volume after volume from the shelves. No book. His eyes made a frenetic dance across covers and spines. No book. Chimes slipped by, then bells. No book. All hope for a simple misplacement crumpled in Seleucus's chest, it was apparent the book was lost somewhere in the bowels of the ancient library and no quick clerical search would reveal anything.

If only, if only I knew where else it might be. Bharani was simply too large and too full for any search for an individual book to take less than a season. If I want to find it, I will have to be smart about this. Where else could I look? Even checking just the section he was already in would take at least several days. The only place that had records of the location of each book might be the Archives. The Archives. A small spark of hope blossomed in Seleucus's chest, warm as the touch of Syna's rays. Quickly breaking into a speady trot Seleucus slipped through the twisting nest of corridors down into the depths of the Bharani, passing several Seekers on the way who shot him dirty looks for his hurried pace though Seleucus payed them no mind, he was on a book hunt.

Eventually Seleucus reached a tall, narrow door and pushed in through. On the other side of the threshold he found himself in a dim, dusty room, full as far as the eye could see with cabinet after cabinet of files and records of all kinds. Someone really needs to come up with a better system. Looking through the records might take him as long as looking for the book in the Magic section had. No matter, sacrifices must be made, and today Tanroa was collecting her debt. Please Leth, let this search be quick. And so Seleucus walked back to the mighty cabinets which contained the -C-s and swung them open. A great avalanche of dust poured forth that set Seleucus coughing for near a chime before he began to rifle through the files. Finally a folio marked “Codex through Coddle” appeared and Seleucus plucked it from it's home. Within the first few pages inside he found the check out list of A Codex Of Alchemy And It's Secrets. It's last checkout date had been several seasons ago by some Dai fellow and it had been returned, Seleucus squinted looking closer, “with a cover scorched, torn, and partially missing from a laboratory accident.” Hah! So it has been put away in the Damaged Department waiting to be rebound. Vigor returned to his step, Seleucus snapped the cabinet shut walked to Damages room less then a chime away.