After walking for far too long, Jake needed to rest. His body ached and walking was becoming far more difficult the further they went. His right leg was growing numb and his left could hardly hold his weight anymore. Yae had swapped with Tul, who was the strongest out of the trio. Tul’s increased strength helped Jake but Tul wasn’t as good as a healthy leg. Jake’s eyes were also becoming near impossible to keep open. The weight dragging on his shoulders, his fleeting consciousness, and his pained heart were all making staying awake and alert fairly difficult.

Now, his stomach was even growling. The lunch he had prepared before leaving and the clothes he’d brought along were lost during the battle with the Maedra. The loss left him with nothing but a dry mouth and an empty gut. What was supposed to be a simple, fun learning experience had become the one thing furthest from that. The worst scenario. All he could hope for now was his survival and eventual return to the surface.

“Wall,” Jake muttered. Tul looked at him for a moment, and then Yae said something in their own language. Tul seemed to understand at that point and carried Jake over to the side of the tunnel.

Tul helped Jake to the wall and the boy slowly inched his way down. He sat as comfortably as he could against the cold rock and leaned back to the wall. While everything around him was cold, his body felt hot. The faint wet touch of the rock wall to his body was the closest thing to bliss he could ask for. He was just about to warn the others that he needed to sleep, or to at least rest for a bit, but his mouth moved in a lazy mumble as his eyes slammed shut.

Exhaustion dominated his mind, and Jake succumbed to its inviting arms.

* * *

“Oh…? A guest?”

The heavy, dusty air of the tunnel gave way to something far more crisp and clear. There wasn’t much more light imn the new space compared to the tunnel, but the room was significantly wider. Taller, too. So tall that Jake couldn’t see the ceiling from where he lay. Eight pillars stretched skyward, supporting that distant top of the room with their numerous arms.

“And you even have the strength to form a body… Interesting.” The sound of a book snapping shut echoed loudly through the air. Jake groaned and struggled against gravity as he slowly lifted up to a seat.

He sat in sand, compact sand which was almost smooth as rock to the touch. The room around him had three levels to it. It was a complex space for something with no doorway. The sandy pit where he sat was surrounded by a tall wall, atop which stood the eight pillars. There were no stairs out of the pit and the walls were smooth and slick. At each corner of the pit, a cauldron full of fire burned to light the room just a bit.

At the far edge of the room straight in front of Jake was another raised platform, reached by the only set of stairs in the entire room. A throne was built at its peak and a figure sat within its cushions. A heavy, thick fog blinded Jake from being able to pick out any features of the individual, but Jake could see at least their glowing green eyes. A candle was lit beside them. Said candle should have exposed what they looked like and it should have dispersed the black cloud, but the disruption of Jake’s vision wasn’t localized to just the throne.

Beyond the edge of the pit, nothing was clear. That black fog lingered like a haze over everything. Even the cauldrons were blurred and dimmed by its thick grip. That was likely the reason Jake couldn’t see the ceiling- the fog blinded him from everything aside from the space around him. Likely on purpose.

Jake tried to open his mouth to speak. His jaw, though, didn’t budge. He felt a sharp pain shoot through his skull and his lips remained sealed. Confused, Jake at least tried to eke out some kind of noise.

Nothing. Not a peep emerged from his throat no matter how hard he struggled or wiggled. He couldn’t even lift his hands from the sand to try and feel his face. Something was keeping him bound in place.

“That must be your limit, then? Ah, a pity.” The voice from the throne was heavy and exerted a pressure Jake found hard to listen to. Each word was like a clap of thunder against his skull. His ears hurt from just listening.

“And you were so close. Well, I think I can applaud you for even making it here.” The individual rose up from their throne and lowered down onto the stairs. Their legs clicked with each step as they descended to the edge of the pit. They were tall, thin, but those green eyes were overwhelmingly dangerous. Jake felt his stomach tighten as he stared at them- instinctual fear.

“Oh! Now that I get a good look at you, you must be the Child. It makes sense now. The spell sending you to Her Library must have been disrupted somehow… Or it fired without intention. Hm…” The individual crossed their arms and stared down at Jake, for a long while.

“Either way, the fact you are here tells me that it’s nearly time. A shame. And you are still oh so young, innocent! Pure!” The individual began to laugh and raised their arms up towards Jake. The two hands stretching towards him both began to glow- thumbs and index fingertips both were tilted to form a triangle. A small purple flame ignited in the center of the shape. The fire burned brightly, and then a large sigil emerged within the flame.

“Would be a shame if I tampered with that purity, just a bit… Forgive me, boy, or thank me. The Overworld is far too fragile for me to let things go along all according to plan. It’s just not my thing.” The flame floated forward towards Jake. He watched it slowly fly across the sand until it was inches from his own face. The sigil inside of the flame was complex, multi-layered, and formed out of a black fire within the purple. His eyes opened wide as he realized what kind of magic it was and he began to struggle against that which held him. That was Dark magic!

“Ah-ah! No struggling!” The individual wagged a finger as Jake began fighting to get away from the purple flame. It flared up brightly in his face, and then plunged into his chest. Heat washed through his body as the sigil buried itself into his body. Pain seared through him and he collapsed into the sand, unable to stop it.

All he could do was lay still. His lips trembled and his fingers dug into the sand. No tears came to his eyes, no matter how much he wanted to cry. The burning simply tore through his chest and he could feel it grip at his lungs.

“Perfect. Now, go be a menace for me. Would you? My sister may have seen greatness in you, but I live for the day when that perfect face of hers twists with pain. Serves her right for locking me in this cell.” The individual began to laugh and cackle, the sound of pure chaotic joy ringing through the air as Jake’s eyes forcibly closed. The pain in his chest remained, but the laughing faded. When it was completely gone, Jake was left with only the burning pain.

The discomfort remained and Jake could do nothing but suffer as he waited to reawaken in the tunnel.

* * *

Jake’s eyes opened to a small surprise- there were more single-eyed individuals around him now. Tul, Xul, and Yae were next to him. A few paces away, five much larger individuals stood with far larger stone weapons and even small shields crafted from what looked to be slabs of metal ore. There was no advanced or fancy craftwork done to the shields, but there was a sense that the creators understood the ore had stronger properties than standard rock.

A thundering headache split Jake’s skull. He winced and groaned from the discomfort. The pain in his head brought along with it confusion- there was no burning in his chest. When he looked beneath his shirt, there was no mark either. Whatever he had dreamt hadn’t followed him into the real world. Once again, he had another terrifying dream. It was starting to get more frustrating, especially since this was also the third time he hadn’t been able to do anything.

Trying to comprehend all the things in the world was becoming far more than he cared to deal with. Ever since he met with the Gods, it was one thing after another with this place. With magic and monsters all spun into the mix, confusing him, throwing off his balance, and forcing him to deal with a bunch of different problems- Jake was struggling to keep pace with it all. Before he could truly come to grips with anything, the next surprise was there to throw him off.

First it was being caught by his Auntie. Then, a spell blew up in his face and he almost died. Next came the Maedra, the Dragon Vein, and then the Maudrake. Now he had to deal with being separated from Chul and the looming possibility of getting eaten by the Maedra. What was next? The ceiling falling on his head? The boring, easy days of running around in sand and eating paias were looking a lot more alluring now that he was going through all this madness.

“Now what…” He grumbled as he tried to assess the situation around him, all while cradling his head and wishing for the pounding headache to go away. Xul and Tul were on edge with the new group joining them, but there was no violence so far that made Jake uneasy. They were speaking to one another in their own tongue, and judging by how the other group was more heavily armed- Jake assumed they were higher in whatever hierarchy their kind belonged to. Either that, or these were the Warriors of their kind.

“Jake.” Yae noticed Jake waking up, and she turned her attention to him immediately. Her hand replaced his on his head as she cast a warm healing spell, helping relieve the pressure he felt for the moment. He thanked her, and then slowly eased himself up to his feet. His leg felt a bit better.

“Careful,” Yae muttered, and Jake nodded as he steadied himself against the wall. He likely hadn’t been asleep for very long as fatigue still ripped at his muscles. His eyes didn’t feel any lighter, either. Nor had his empty stomach suddenly become full.

“Who are they?” Jake motioned towards the other group of five. Noticing he had Jake’s attention, the one in the front grinned wide. He was missing a few teeth. Those that remained were rotting out. The creature likely wasn’t one of the most desirable ones to be around.

“Zara. Warriors. Beast Fighters.” Yae spoke softly, as if saying who they were too loudly might get her in trouble. Jake scoffed at the words and then reevaluated the group of five.

Beast Fighters, huh? So these were the types of individuals who would be sent out to fight the Maedra? Jake didn’t find them to be very reassuring. If Jake had to rely on them in a fight, he doubted he would feel comfortable with his safety. Their gear looked rough, their weapons dull, and they didn’t look all that strong. Sure, their bodies were larger than Xul and Tul, but it was mostly fat rather than muscle. They were nothing compared to the few Adventurers he had seen pass through the village. Even the worst of the Adventurers at least knew to take care of both their gear and their bodies.

“Why are they here? What do they want?” Now that he knew who they were, he was curious to learn why they were here. Jake hadn’t asked the other three why they were wandering around yet, but they were at least helpful so he didn’t mind their presence. But these new faces didn’t look so friendly.

“You,” Tul spat out, and with quite a bit of grit through his teeth. For a second, Jake didn’t understand. Then it dawned on him- he wasn’t from down in this place, and while to Xul, Tul, and Yae, Jake might seem like a change in their lives. The other group might just see him as fresh meat. A gourmet meal presented to them from the surface- or possibly something worse.

“To eat?” Jake asked, trying to dig for specifics. If they wanted meat to eat, then it would make sense. But Jake wanted to be sure before making a decision.

“Slave,” Xul mumbled and shook his head. The creature lightly grabbed onto his spear and made a stroking motion with it.

Slave. Sex Slave.

Jake’s eyes narrowed and he instantly created a fireball in his right hand. It flared a bright blue color as the temperature scorched at the air and he primed the spell to fire. Seeing the casting, the five Warriors quickly assumed battle stances. Tul’s eyes shot open and Xul hastily moved out of the way. Yae, however, placed a hand on his shoulder and stood in front of him. She blocked his line of fire with her own body.

“No. Violence bad. Warriors important.” Yae pleaded and tried to calm Jake, but the boy hissed and glared at the five Warriors.

“Yea? And I’m not about to become a slave. I’ll melt them like I did the Maedra.” Jake sought the strongest out of the five and looked for the one he should strike first. Yet, Yae didn’t move from her spot. Instead she backed up a bit and put herself directly in the middle of the two sides, arms raised to make as big of an obstacle as she could. If Jake wanted to hit them, he would have to try and shoot around her.

The best part? She kept her pleading eyes focused on Jake- not the Warriors. That seemed to irritate them. Zara, their leader, growled and spoke in their tongue. Tul suddenly laughed and then pointed in the direction they had come. Jake heard the word ‘Makaesh’ and then saw the five Warriors stiffen. Tul grinned at their reaction and then bowed his head as he moved out of the way, as if offering up a chance to fight Jake.

“No. No fight.” Even as Jake looked for the best way to sling his fireball around Yae, she was determined to block him. He doubted she’d stay still if he threw it, but he wasn’t about to gamble on that chance. From how serious her face was, she would likely try to swat at the fire ball or even jump in front of it to ensure the Warriors behind her didn’t get hurt. While Jake didn’t particularly have any attachment to any of them- killing an innocent bystander didn’t sit well with him.

And he was far too tired to deal with the aftermath.

Jake squelched the fire and sighed. Yae smiled, happy for his choice, and then turned to face the five Warriors. She wagged her finger and scolded them in their language. Zara scoffed, his eyes glaring at Jake as he lowered his weapon and shield. Xul let out a huff and Tul laughed again, only to shut his mouth when Zara shot him an angry look.

“I have to keep moving.” Jake checked his legs and found walking to be a bit easier now. His leg didn’t hurt as much and he could put more weight down onto it. While it was still sore and ached- he could at least trudge along at a quicker pace now. Any quickness in his steps was welcomed, as Chul likely was in a far worse position.

“No. Rest more.” Yae tried to grab at him, but Jake held up a firm hand as he started walking. He didn’t argue with her, nor did he care to. He hobbled along and this time, walked with his own strength. Yae rushed up next to him and offered her shoulder again only for him to ignore her. She was getting too comfortable with him, and Jake wasn’t liking it.

He didn’t know these people. He didn’t understand their language and he didn’t understand why they were being kind to him. They had saved him and spared him from drowning to death, but that was it. Ever since he’d woken up, all they'd done was cling to him. If it was because they were scared of the dark or because of the Maedra, then they had no excuse now- their own Warriors were here. They should just leave.

“Why are you bothering me?” Jake asked in a huff. He didn’t look at Yae when he asked, not wanting to see her face or her expression.

“Help.” She answered, and then she lightly grabbed his arm. Jake tore it away and glared at her.

“Why? What am I to you? A stranger! There’s no reason for you to be here! No reason for you to follow me! What- Do- You- Want?!” Jake snapped and turned to face Yae, Tul and Xul, and the five warriors that were now looking at him with greedy eyes. Jake quickly generated a pair of fireballs at his waist and glared at Yae as he demanded an answer.

She flinched, a bit scared from his sudden aggression, and stepped back. There was pain on her face, as though she too didn’t understand.

“Smell like us.” Tul moved forward and stepped up next to Yae. He whispered something to her. Yae frowned and shook her head, her eye lowering to the floor. Tul then gave her a nudge with his elbow and a few more words. She didn’t answer for a moment, but as she looked up at Jake, she seemed to change her mind. She lifted both of her hands in front of herself and closed her eye. Jake waited and watched as her hands began to glow a faint green. The color was faint, thin- weak. From the green light, a small amount of mana leaked from her tiny hands. Yae’s face contorted with effort as she manipulated the mana to take the shape of a small sphere. Jake stared at it closely and immediately recognized it. It looked like Dragon’s Blood from its color.

“Sensed it in You,” Yae whispered as her face relaxed. The tension eased from her face and she opened her eye a bit, glancing up at Jake briefly.

Jake’s jaw tensed and he cut the connection with the fire balls in his hands. They fizzled out, the mana dispersing into the air as he lowered his arms. Yae’s hands dropped away as well, the mana vanishing and the green fading from her hands. She let out a heavy, tired huff.

“You can sense mana?” He asked. Yae shook her head.

“Mana have smell. You smell same,” she explained.

So, that was it then. Jake certainly couldn’t smell anything different in the air down here other than dust, cold, and the occasional stench of rot whenever the Maedra were close by. Were these individuals capable of smelling mana? Could the Maedra smell it?

“What’s a Thuma?” Were they magicians? Yae was able to use some kind of healing magic, if that was what it could be called, and was managing to help him with his recovery. However, her spells seemed to only have a time limit to them, or they only suppressed pain. He wasn’t exactly sure of what she was doing to him. His headache was gone, for now. How long it would stay that way likely depended on how long it would be until he ate or drank.

“You, Thuma.” Tul pointed at him when he spoke, and Jake finally understood. He was right. A Thuma was a mage, and Yae was a mage. Somehow, she was also able to detect mana in other beings. If they lived down here then they had likely adapted to survive alongside the Dragon Vein. It might have allowed them to evolve so that they could use Dragon’s Blood. Now that Jake could use it too, he likely gave off the same mana as their kind did. Yae must have perceived that as him being friendly.

Quite the luck of the draw with that guess. If Jake had been more violent, they might have all been killed.

“I see. Now that you know I’m not one of you, then why are you still following me?” While the initial meeting now made sense- what didn’t was their attachment. Now that Zara and his little bandits had shown up, Jake guessed the five had been sent out to find these three, or to be back-up if something happened. Or maybe they were even sent to deal with that group of Maedra. A suicidal choice seeing as Jake himself nearly died to that small horde.

“Curious.” Tul shrugged.

“You, hurt,” Yae said.

“Bored,” Xul said bluntly.

They answered at the exact same time, and Jake only felt more tired. The only one that made sense was Yae’s answer, and even then he didn’t like it. Xul’s passive answer and honest lack of care with the entire situation made him come off as more aloof than Jake originally found him to be. It was as though he was here just for a moment of change in his life. Tul at least was looking for something to do and he wanted to get something out of this.

“Fine, fine! Do whatever you want.” Jake waved them off, his mind too scrambled to put together any kind of counterargument. The three of them were all over the place and didn’t make much sense to him. He had expected something more courageous or worthwhile. All he got were the childish answers he might have given to his Auntie to get out of trouble.

The group was now a solid nine strong, and Jake led the way with his shaky footing and heavy steps. Those behind him were silent. There was the faint slapping of feet against rock, but no heavy clinging, rowdy breathing, or unnecessary banter. They were quiet. Vigilant. Their steps likely would be passed off as the sound of the flowing essence to those not attuned to the noise. It made Jake’s own steps sound much louder than they probably were. It was a bit painful on his ears, especially knowing there could be Maedra anywhere nearby.

The further they walked, his ears only became more focused on the shuffling and grunting coming from his problematic stride. Even though much of the path was lit by Sprites and there were no signs of Maedra, he wasn’t a fan of attracting attention again. He doubted he could survive another fight, nor would he be able to sleep so peacefully afterward. The Five Warriors would probably try to snatch him up in his weakened state.

“Close,” Tul said softly all of a sudden, and Jake nodded. The first good news in a while. Though, that good news was spoiled by the stench of rotten flesh again. This time, there was no sound of crunching or howling. Just the lingering smell in his nose. Along with the scent, he felt a faint breeze on his face.

More Sprites in the area caused the pathway ahead to be almost entirely lit up, and Jake could see no Maedra in sight. The further they walked, the more aware he became of the pungent smell. It was stronger and getting even more so as they progressed. After a long bend, the tunnel came to an end. The room beyond was wide, open, and familiar. It was the massive Mana Pool room. The problem?

Jake was on the opposite side, and while he could see the Dragon’s Vein jutting out of the rock- he couldn’t see past it. He was far enough away that the Dragon’s Vein was in the distance. The Mana Pool stretched out towards the Vein, and then curved around to the right, likely to where Chul and Jake had originally come down into the area. He had floated the entire distance of the pool, and a long-distance down that essence river. The amount of time that must have taken…

In addition to being super far away and entirely separated- there were Maedra on a few small islands dotting the top of the Mana Pool, and a few even attached to the ceiling. Not only would he have to somehow cross the Pool, but he also needed to deal with them at the same time.

“Chul,” Jake mumbled and gripped at the wall. His fingers were too weak to dig into the tough stone so all that happened was the flexing of muscle, but it helped with his frustration. If he wanted to get across the Mana Pool, he either needed to climb, dig, or swim.

And he couldn’t do any of the three. Yet.

“I need to meditate.” Jake returned into the tunnel and sat down against the wall. Tul and Xul looked at him oddly, but Yae simply plopped down next to him. The Five Warriors talked among themselves before Zara stepped up.

“No. You fight. Me Hungry and Horny.” Zara grinned and chuckled. He made a lewd and sultry gesture with his hands and hips. While he looked at Jake, he also licked his chapped and crusty looking lips. Yae shot the Warrior an annoyed glance.

“I don’t care about either.” Jake assumed his relaxed position and placed his hands neatly on top of his knees. He heard footsteps approach and opened his eyes to see Zara standing in front of him.

“Hungry, and Horny.” Zara repeated, eliciting a laugh from his companions. Zara himself chuckled and pulled open the cloth wrapped around his waist. Doing so exposed his loins, and the thick meat which dangled between the Warrior’s thighs dangled mere inches from Jake’s face. The boy, though disturbed and grossed out by the stench that defiled his nose, was far more focused on his friend to care.

“I help!” Yae suddenly spit out and stood up. Jake grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down beside him. Jake narrowed his eyes and his hands flexed.

“No.” Jake stood up and immediately cast a Wind Wall in front of himself and Yae. The air between him and Zara split open from the heavy gale. Zara stepped away to avoid being harmed and quickly readied his weapon. More prepared for the follow-up, Jake’s mana was quicker and he fired off a Wind Ball. It crashed loudly into Zara’s shield. The Warrior staggered backward a few paces from the force of the impact, closer to the river. He regained his footing but the next ball came too quickly once more. The second impact shoved him over the edge and his large body splashed into the waiting flow of essence.

“Zara!” The remaining warriors shouted in surprise and fright as they all hurried to the edge of the Essence river. Zara emerged a little way down and he was able to drag himself out of the liquid. The four rushed to him to help, only to be met with an angry swing of his spear as Zara stomped towards Jake for a second round.

Jake happily obliged. He summoned several Wind Balls and threw them all at the Warrior simultaneously. The Warrior swatted two out of the way and blocked a few with his shield. After holding his ground against the barrage, the Warrior grew confident and advanced on Jake with his shield held up. Jake continued to aim for the Warrior’s face, forcing the creature to keep the shield lifted. Once Zara was close enough, though, Jake shot three Wind Balls simultaneously again. One struck the shield, another struck Zara’s weapon arm, and the third crashed into the Warrior’s leg just below the knee. The impact caused Zara to lose his weapon and his leg folded from beneath him. A withheld fourth ball hit the off-balance warrior as he stumbled and finished the job. Zara slammed into the wall headfirst, his body slumping over against it.

Jake sat back down and Yae sighed at his side. Xul walked over to check on Zara and gave him a nudge with his foot. Zara groaned and his arm flailed at the kicking, showing that he was alive. Xul shrugged and walked back over to Jake. He looked disappointed.

“Alive,” he declared in a bored tone before sitting down next to Yae. Yae seemed torn between whether or not she should help Zara, but Jake wasn’t about to tell her what to do. He simply sent his attention inwards, and plunged into his own mana.

The smell of vast wisdom and knowledge filled Jake’s nose as he emerged in the Library. The familiar white walls welcomed him, as did the peaceful silence of isolation. No other strange creatures, no Maedra, no oppressive weight of the Vein. Only rows upon rows of books. Jake had taken this place for granted.

“The second time I’m here to find an answer,” he muttered. Jake stepped off the magic sigil and walked into the center of the main room. His eyes drifted up, peering towards the distant skylight- one that radiated pure white light, but showed nothing beyond the glass.

“Is this what Ferynith built the Library for…?” He stared at the glass. For some reason, thinking that way made him feel so sad. All of this knowledge, collected and gathered into one place. It held many answers to questions he didn’t even know to ask. The vast array of books covered topics so broad and diverse he didn’t even know where he might start.

Not a speck of dust gathered here. The pages never withered and the books never creased. A Library stuck in time, frozen in place. Thousands upon thousands of words permanently etched into the pages here. And so many of those pages would never, ever, be read. Unless Jake found he needed to pluck the book off the shelf, he never would. How many unanswered questions lingered in this place? Answers to things no one thought to ask…

“But it would take far too long to read all of it…” Jake sighed and stepped up to the closest bookshelf. In one shelf alone, over a hundred books sat on the thick wood. Their spines had a variety of colors and languages, thicknesses, heights. Each book held its own knowledge and had its own tale to tell. To go through just one shelf, he couldn’t even think of how long it would take him to read everything. Not only that- he would also have to understand, comprehend, and be able to absorb what the book held. If it needed to be translated, then it would take even longer. If he didn’t know the language, then just reading was out of the question. It was a waste of knowledge.

“If only I could understand every language…” He muttered, his fingers running over the spine of a book with a foreign name to it. The letters inscribed were nothing but symbols.

“That would take quite a bit of time.”

Jake didn’t jump at the sound of the new voice, but his head did snap towards it. A woman dressed in a pale blue dress stood at the end of the shelf. A brown cloak covered most of her body, but the hood was down, exposing her elven ears, golden hair, light green eyes, and a wide smile.

“Who are you?” Jake found himself asking that question a lot today. So many new faces were appearing before him. Would he be able to remember all of them?

“I’m Seria. It’s been quite a while since I’ve bumped into another visitor to the Library, and you’re even a young boy! That’s certainly a treat. Most magicians here are old, or at least adults.” Seria placed the small collection of books she was holding down onto a nearby table. Jake stole a look at their spines and found three different languages in the stack. Could she read them all? If she couldn’t, why did she have them?

“And your name?” She approached again and placed her hands firmly onto her hips, her smile still wide and bright. She was quite a beautiful looking lady. Maybe that was because she was an Elf? His dad said Elves were the best looking race.

“Uh, Jake,” he answered. “Can you read all of those books?” He pointed at her stack and she nodded.

“I can. I know this many languages.” She held up both hands. Seven fingers unfurled from her fists. Jake’s eyes widened as he stared at her. She seemed exceptionally proud of that fact, and she should be. Jake was jealous. She could read seven languages, which broadened the amount of knowledge she had access to. Unlike Jake, Seria could take even more advantage of this Library.

“How did you learn them?”

“Practice! And this place makes a perfect study hall.” Seria popped up to her feet and she walked back to her stack of books. She plucked one from the pile and handed it to Jake. It was an introductory book to the language of the Seraphym.

Seraphym?

“What…”

“Angels, in other words. They are Servants of the Gods. Well, that’s what people call them because of how they look and dress, but they’re actually just a really smart race of powerful magicians.” Seria sighed and sat down in a chair, crossing one leg over the other as she made herself comfortable. “The Seraphym live high up in the seclusive White Mountains. They keep to themselves and have erected barriers to keep most races out. Only High Elves and the purest of Humans can approach their Temples. Everyone else just bumps into an invisible wall.” She shrugged and shook her head, seemingly annoyed that she wasn’t able to visit one of those temples.

“If they are so seclusive, then why are you learning their language?” Jake returned the book, uninterested in its contents. Seria shrugged, returning it back to her pile.

“I don’t really have a reason. I’m doing it because I want to.” Seria giggled and patted her stack of books. “Languages only survive because people use them. And since the Seraphym don’t usually ever leave their temples, translators are highly sought after. Kingdoms tend to pay a lot of money for translators. Many texts from the Old Age have been found, and a handful of them are in Seraphym. If I can learn their language, then I can read those texts! And make money, of course.”

“Why not just bring them to the Seraphym to be translated?” Jake found it odd that someone would learn a language to translate it, when the race that spoke it was still around. Though, Seria found the question funny for some reason. She laughed, loudly.

“Oh you fool! What if one of those texts just so happens to be the secret behind their barriers?” Her laughing subsided after a bit. Jake felt his face get hot out of embarrassment, but he at least thought he was correct, somewhat.

“It’s okay. We may not always like the answer, but questions are important. Now you’ve learned something, haven’t you?”

Jake nodded. Seria huffed and ruffled his hair.

“Good! Never stop asking questions, and be curious. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a new language to learn!” Seria popped up out of her chair, scooped up her books, and started to walk away. As she did, Jake felt his chest tighten. He had been asking questions ever since he started using Magic. He had tested its limit and doing so had only led him to trouble.

“What if…” Jake hesitated. Seria stopped and looked at him, her head tilting as she waited. “What if even though the answer is right, it’s… it’s wrong?” He didn’t quite know how to ask what he wanted to ask.

“Ah.” Seria’s face softened. “Not everything we learn is something that we want to or plan on, but as Magicians it is up to us to perform tests, verify the results we find, and to share the conclusions with others. Whether we like what we find or not- some results are absolute. No matter what we do or what we try, the end may always be the same. However, what we do with that end is up to us. Knowledge is there to teach you the facts of something, but that is it. Applying those facts will always be different for everyone. That is what makes some magicians stronger and wiser than others.” Seria spoke softly to Jake, who felt uneasy as he thought of what might have happened to Chul. Jake frowned at her words and scratched at the back of his neck.

“Even if that knowledge isn’t good?” He avoided making eye contact with her. Seria looked at him oddly. The light expression on her face twisted a bit and her eyes sharpened as she thought to herself.

“Necromancy is dangerous, boy. I wouldn’t,” she spat out. Her words were sharp and sudden. With that, Seria turned away and stepped out of the room. Jake was confused by her final statement.

“Necro… mancy?” Jake stared at where Seria had stood.

What… What was Necromancy?