Papaya now had two companions in her adventure, the two academy professors Wiltoh of swordsmanship and Mivera of magic

as they were journeying across Alwyn's cobblestone street, Papaya took the time to thank the two for aiding her,

Mivera politely answered

"no thanks necessary Amazon, I was curious about this kingdom you seek anyway, imagine a land amongst the stars that would be quite

the sight"

Wiltoh offered his reasons

"I was meaning to go on a little trip outside as well, I haven't been on a quest for some time now and it seems the opportunity presented

itself"

the group then continued on walking towards the great library and Papaya was able to see the sights offered by the kingdom, first, they passed

by the bustling markets and saw the wares offered by the merchants, this new sight made Papaya excited as this was the first time she had

seen another land's place of selling, she had something similar as well in the amazon's lands, but the Amazon's way of selling was more

like bartering rather than using the curious looking items known as coins, to Papaya's eyes seeing coins was a rather novel way to acquire

goods and she was planning to try it out when she goes home after finishing her quest, Mivera had noticed the gleam in her excited eyes as she

observes a man in the act of purchasing goods, she then offered to demonstrate it by taking the Amazon and giving her 3 coppers for a loaf

of bread sold by a nearby baker, Papaya then took the coins and then slowly gave it to the vendor who gave her an especially large loaf

Wiltoh chuckled while Papaya nibbled on the loaf,

"so this is how you people trade goods?"

said the Amazon

"very interesting!"

Papaya's group then continued on their way and crossed over fron the markets to Alwyn's great piers, large ships of all

sizes could be seen but the interesting thing to see on this pier is that it was a hub that connects to the sea, to the land and even to the air sea-going ships, land-going ships and even airships could be seen floating above and this sight awed the Amazon, Wiltoh then explained,

**********************

The amount of ships that pass by here is staggering, this port is the reason why Alwyn is a country unlike any other, Papaya took in the

sights with Wiltoh and Mivera, the Amazon watched as porters loaded wooden carts and barrels full of goods as the port bustled on with its usual

activity, she watched as ferry passengers strode up on the gangplank with the intent to ride the boat to some exotic destination, the port was

large and vast, typical due to its status as a pier to hold all sorts of ships, up above she could see airships floating above Mireva took the

time to explain that the ships were enchanted with potent wind magic that made it float above the air, Wiltoh then explained that though there are

airships around the seagoing ship still are present because the magic required to make an airship float wears off after some time, that's was why

seagoing ships are more economical, as for land going ships the technology that makes vessels that can travel across the land was made possible due to

the machines invented by the technologically advanced Orodos. the kingdom of machines, Wiltoh then said

"I was able to travel there once.... the place was a marvel to see you could see mechanical things everywhere, perhaps you would go see it for yourself?"

the group then were now on the gates leading to the residences of the citadel and Papaya could see houses as far as the eye could see, the place

was decked with cottages and the streets were lined with cobblestones. trees were planted in an orderly fashion along the streets and living spaces and white

stone could be seen on the houses,

Mivera then took her turn explaining the area

"this area, the streets the trees and the houses were built using magic by the best craftsmen using spells that could shape stone, the king wanted

to build a beautiful centerpiece for his kingdom namely the residential district and tapped the finest craftsmen and planners to help him do it"

Wiltoh then pointed out the outer boundaries and then the party were able to locate the Library of Alwyn, the building was particularly immense

and was laden with white marble shaped by spells to form designs that impressed the eyes, Mivera then went first greeting the female librarian who

immediately recognized her and returned the gesture,

"ahh lady Mivera of the academy, here again to your usual?"

Mivera then courteously bowed and told the bespectacled librarian

"this visit is going to be something different Anea referring to the librarian"

"I'm here to find a special book that contains a certain curious information that my Amazon friend here is seeking"

Anea's eyes then slightly widened

"Oh my! an Amazon? I've only read about you in books"

she then looked Papaya in curiosity and asked curiously

"Is it true? that you amazons can fell an elephant in one strike with a spear? or shoot an arrow into the eye of a bird?"

Papaya then smiled and merely was silent, Mivera then had to interrupt

"We'd love to acquaint you with my friend here Anea, but we have a book to find"

Anea then turned to Mivera and then said

"yes of course... which book is lady Mivera looking for in particular?"

Mivera then explained

"that is what I'm hoping you would answer, I'm willing to surmise that you read most of the books of this library since you keep these books

in order?"

Anea then fixed her glasses in place and exclaimed

"yes that is correct....but...I've only read less than half of the books here and that is considerable since I've worked these halls for years

that is just how large this library is, I could ask the entire staff of librarians for any particular book you have in mind"

Mivera then

*********************************

pressed Anea for her help narrating Papaya's travels and her encounter with Wiltoh and herself, the librarian then took off

her spectacles and wiped it with a cloth she procured from her pouch quite impressed with the story told by Mivera.

"that's quite the adventure you've had Amazon, alright I will seek the help of the others"

this made the three in the party pleased as they had gone all across the country merely to find a book and now were relieved that they were

at the end of their little mission,

Anea procured a messaging crystal and called forth all the librarians working at the colossal building, speaking on the

shining spell enchanted artifact she spoke and transmitted a summon to heed her call calling forth most of the staff nearby, a total of five

people came and stood there in line as Anea prepared them, Wiltoh then asked Anea

"well? not being rude but we do need to find that book immediately"

Anea then smiled "first though you have to pass a test"

"What test?"

asked Wiltoh

"we librarians consider ourselves guardians of knowledge and every once in a while we find adventurers looking for information in these halls

they need to show us that they are worthy to receive that knowledge"

Mivera then spoke

"what is the test then?"

Anea then explained

"the test is quite easy, you will have to locate and capture all six of us while we are hidden in the library

"a game of hide and seek and capture the target?"

asked Papaya

"that is correct!" said Ania excitedly

all six of the library staff including Ania then lined up as Anea explained the rules,

"we will be hidden all over the library but it won't end there, you will have to capture us one by one, we don't want to

make it too easy for you wouldn't we?"

Wiltoh and Mivera looked at each other and then went to Papaya

"don't worry Amazon we will be with you on this"

Anea then fixed her glasses and then beckoned to the five

are you three ready now?

Papaya, Wiltoh and Mivera then braced themselves in positions ready to

sprint

"let's start now!

1

2

3

as Papaya and her two companions burst into a sprint they immediately could tell that this won't be an easy task as the six

Librarians immediately scattered some doing backflips while others doing cartwheels all away from them, disappearing into the

vast network of bookshelves and in an instant Papaya's party found themselves alone in the hall of the great library,

all three of them then discussed their plans

Wiltoh going first

"we should be splitting up to find them one by one"

the two nodded and they went on their separate ways

Papaya sprinted through the library finding some Library visitors along the way but did not even see a flash of the robe of a librarian

Wiltoh ran and checked every corner he could see around the shelves but fared no better

"Blast! he cursed how can these book clerks be so good at hiding?"

on Mivera's end she looked around atop the bookshelves carefully surveying across the library but all she could find was a vast sea of

bookshelves and no Librarian in sight.

all three then dejectedly went back to the front of the hall and then huddled to discuss another better plan

Wiltoh turned to Mivera

"do you have any spells that remove or locate concealment?"

Mivera then answered

"In fact I do,"

Mivera then chanted and cast a spell that covered the entire library and

immediately they saw one of the librarians appearing in front of them

hiding behind a chair

"his concealment now undone he merely chuckled

"good work finding me! good luck taking me in!"

he then backflipped as Wiltoh attempted to capture him and then disappeared behind the shelves still nimbly flipping in the air

"well that's one of them we found..."

"at least we don't have to worry about finding them now"

said Mivera

Papaya the picked up her bow and arrow and notched the arrow ready to catch the hiding librarians, Wiltoh and Mivera catching up to her

Mivera readied her staff enchanting their weapons with electricity,

"with this, we'll be able to stun our targets and capture them easily"

Wiltoh swirled his sword the sparks flying all over and went ahead

as the three formed a triangular formation to anticipate their targets movements, the library visitors watching them as they search the

immense building for the library staff they are supposed to capture,

then one popped out of the shelves and showed herself, Papaya immediately on to her and loosed a lightning enchanted arrow with the point dulled

to hit the target, anticipating this the woman merely cartwheeled out of harm's way and nimbly ran off to the side with the three in hot pursuit

"Wait!!" said Witoh "she's so fast!" how can these book clerks be so agile?!?

after some walking Wiltoh then notices one in hiding and told the other two secretly not letting himself act in a way the target would know

then in a quiet tone, he told the other two, "I found one, behind the stairs"

the three then huddled in a circle and then discussed their plans

"Mivera you go to the left, I will go to the right and flush him out then you can use the stun arrows Papaya"

the two nodded and then went off, Papaya then stood some spans away (meters) and waited like a huntress that she was, she remembers her time

hunting among the jungles of her home and this was no different from what she was accustomed to, Wiltoh then cried out

"NOW!" and charged into the stairs with Mivera to his left the librarian then having been found out jumped out and ran towards Papaya who was hiding

behind a table and shot her arrow stunning the oncoming book clerk,

"that's one down!" said Mivera as they huddled to the still limp body of the clerk, then promptly helped up by Wiltoh

the clerk then stood up still stinging with the stun arrow and dusted himself off

"well done! you have five more to go, adventurers"

Papaya then went off with her companions to locate the other five

it did not take long before they spotted another one who was jumping and stepping over the bookshelves at breakneck speed,

there's one! said Mivera as they broke off into hot pursuit once more. Mivera then cast a slow spell to impede the fleeing target chanting

under her breath and flinging the spell hitting the librarian, Wiltoh then acted fast and flew his sword swinging with a swing that could only

be skillfully done by a master swordsman and arced his lightning enchanted sword disabling the target and scoring them a second librarian,

"that was not fair! said the lady librarian on the ground still immobile except for her parting lips

"Mivera then countered"

"Oh yes it was, don't be so cross for your part you didn't make it easy for us"

the lady librarian then slowly stood up and then returned to where the still waiting the last librarian was but not before saying to the party

"Humph! you have four more to go! be wary of the twins they're tricky!"

Wiltoh then uttered "Twins?"

"I did recall that there were two identical looking ladies among the library staff," said Mivera, though I wonder what she meant by tricky"

Papaya then readied her bow and checked her arrows earlier enchanted by Mivera and then led the two forward beckoning them to go forward and

locate the last four,

it took some hours of searching but they had finally found another of their target hiding in a pile of unsorted books and true enough through the luck

of the gods they were twins

"the twins then formed themselves synchronously and then were waiting for the three to capture them,

Wiltoh was cautious " it can't be this easy can it?"

Mivera dismissed him "they're there all we have to do now is to immobilize them, gesturing to Papaya to use her arrows which the Amazon did

but as the Amazon loosed her arrows Wiltoh turned out to be right as the two targets parted and flipped in quick succession, their movements

too fast and as the two backflipped and somersaulted Papaya could not make heads or tails on how to aim much less shoot another arrow, the

two twins were just too nimble and fast.

Mivera tried casting a slow spell to mitigate the two but her spell simply could not hit their mark, after spinning around the

party the twins then each of them blew a kiss towards the party and then disappeared into the library, leaving the party dumbfounded

Mivera was at a loss of words, looking at her two companions while Wiltoh was still dizzy with confusion, Papaya recovered and then

said "What just happened? twins made me confused"

Mivera then noticed and explained to her two companions, it's a confusion spell. they cast it on us when they were running away.....

one was distracting us while the other was casting it.

"so that was what happened....how do we counter it?" asked Wiltoh"

Mivera grabbed a small spellbook from her pouch and explained, "I shall cast a spell of unbinding and disrupt them so you two must act as my shields

while I cast it. In all likelihood they would notice and try to interrupt me, fortunately, I have you two to prevent that"

the three then tried once more looking for the twins among the narrow paths among the bookshelves and found them once more standing in one place

giggling, then dashing once more but this time Papaya and the others were ready as they moved in to intercept them, Wiltoh and Papaya immediately

felt the effects of the confusion spell as their senses dulled once again but still held adamant, their sight spinning and almost making them

blackout then in an instant their seeing cleared up as Mivera finished her counterspell, surprising the two twins, Papaya then promptly struck out her

spear also enchanted with the lightning element the same with Wiltoh's sword and struck their targets down easily, now they had four and only two were

left, clapping could be heard from the top of the bookshelves prompting them to look at their audience seeing the last two Ania and an elderly gentleman

beside her

"you have done splendidly Mivera's group! you captured four of us, and within a very short time to add to that too, so I'm changing the task

instead of finding us you will have to beat me and Liomos here in a free for all battle, Mivera protested "that was not what we agreed upon!"

Papaya took note of Mivera's hesitance to accept the challenge" Wiltoh also had reservations which made the Amazon ask "what's wrong?, they only two

while we are three, we have the advantage!"

Mivera then said "the librarians are very adept at spellcasting I would not take them likely" Wiltoh then grabbed her on the shoulder and said

"we can take them! now let's get this done" and then went forward Mivera then asked Papaya "What do we do now Amazon?"

Papaya then decisively stamped her foot down and went forward beside Wiltoh "we do this!"

Mivera encouraged by the two then cried out to the two remaining librarians then also went forward yelling to the two above

"WE ACCEPT!" all three then readied themselves for battle, the other captured librarians were now on the scene watching intently the ensuing battle,

******************

Papaya was the first to charge as she leaped on top of the bookshelves to engage the two opponents brandishing her spear she then went forward and saw

the two librarians concentrating on casting their spells, Wiltoh and Mivera down below also leaped onto the top of the bookshelves and ran towards the

chanting spellcasters, aiming to intercept them before they could cast their spells, Papaya was first to come near them but as she was ready to engage

a large construct appeared before her, twice the size it was an amalgam of books formed into a humanoid form, Ania then cried out saying

"you did not think it would be that easy did you Amazon?"

Papaya struck her spear into the large humanoid puppet made of books and parchment but found it not even flinching one bit from the stab of her spear

jumping upwards she stabbed into its head but no matter how skillfully her strikes were her opponent was not of flesh and blood, Wiltoh and Mivera

arrived at the scene to help out the beleaguered Amazon and lent their sword and magic to her

Wiltoh slamming his sword on the construct's torso to no effect, Mivera cried out to both

"swords and spears are of no use here! only magic!" then cast a fireball spell towards the hulking pile of paper and books intending to

burn it Mivera was then surprised as the creature simple brushed off the flames engulfing it and lumbered on towards them,

"Wiltoh looked at the two librarians and saw that they were now chanting spells augmenting the formidable creature they had summoned against them

and looked to Mivera "take down the source!" gesturing to the two spellcasters, Papaya saw the wisdom in this and then flanked the creature intending

to take down the still chanting librarians the creature spread its arms wide to protect its masters but it was only alone and could not guard against

flanking opponents eventually despite the creatures protecting the two, Papaya was able to get through and attacked Ania, only to be deterred by a

magic barrier protecting the mage, Mivera saw this and immediately cast a spell of dispelling to remove Ania's protection only to be countered in

turn by Ania's partner who simply recast another barrier spell to replace the lost one, the old man chuckled

****************

seeing the barrier that the other mage had cast Papaya then leaped back to safety away from the swiping arms of the summoned creature

protecting the two librarians readying her spear she prepared to defend from the attacks of the giant construct in front of her Wiltow also retreats

to regroup with Papaya and Mivera, meanwhile, Ania changed her chanting to cast a different spell Ania cast several

fireballs towards Papaya and her companions blowing up the bookshelves as Papaya and her group scramble to dodge the projectiles,

Mivera then cried out

"aren't you worried about destroying your library?!"

Ania simply said

"Oh don't worry a quick tidying spell will undo all the damage!"

then continued casting her spells towards them

Wiltoh then noticed

something and mentioned it to his compatriots.

"one of them is casting the spell that's holding up that pesky creature!" pointing to the giant humanoid pile of books and parchment

"If we interrupt the casting we'll get a free shot in," Wiltoh said as he prepared his sword for a charge,

Papaya and Mivera then understood his intentions and then went along with him,

one of them must distract the creature while the others charge in,

"Wiltoh then charged in and swung his sword towards the creature and slashed it keeping it distracted

Papaya and Mivera then ran towards the two mages Papaya readying her spear to strike while Mivera closed her eyes concentrating on the spell

she was casting,

Ania seeing them then cast a firewall separating the Amazon from her and the old man. Mivera then released her spell, another dispelling spell

************

to counter the binding spell that the old-man had cast on the creature all Papaya, Wiltoh and Mivera all then saw the spell holding up the

creature weakening as the creature struggled to remain material, it's parts slowly becoming undone and falling apart, Ania's partner struggled to

keep the creature material but this was prevented by Papaya who now jumped across the firewall and then attacked both mages with a technique

double strike, striking both mages with her lightning enchanted spear both felled down disabled by the electric shock, Mivera and Wiltoh rejoiced

their task now done as all four librarians captured and the last two defeated.

Ania slowly rose to her feet and congratulated the three,

"Well done adventurers, your task is complete, though I do say it was done a little too roughly...."

Mivera and Wiltoh let out a slight smile while looking at Papaya who merely smirked,

Wiltoh now then asked "so now can we use your help in locating that book?

Ania with all five of the librarians then listened intently to Papaya's request

"Papaya is looking for a book that shows where a kingdom among the stars is located"

all five then took their turns in telling what they know, the first one Ania spoke first

"hmmm, I'm afraid I can't help you there, I'm stumped I've read a lot of books and this is the first time I've heard of that request.

the second one spoke and then was also the same

"I've read logs of flying airships like the ones found in the great pier flying a little higher than they have should but not of anything else...."

the twin also returned the same

"We've not read anything about that.....we read castles held aloft by a giant balloon up in the skies but not of anything else.....

the fifth one also proved fruitless

"I've only read something about flying mountains up in the sky....."

Papaya was then beginning to feel distraught seeing that their trip was for naught when she heard the oldest librarian speak

"yes, of course, I've read about something called a land amongst the stars, it was a very long long time ago when I was still a young man..."

Wiltoh then pressed some more out of the old man

"could you elaborate on that? it might be what we've been looking for"

the old-man then sat and spoke

"the book is very old even more than me, it was an old musty tome I had found here when I was still new to this place"

Mivera took her turn asking the elderly man

"could you tell more about what you can recall?"

the old man then stroked his chin trying to recall what he had remembered about the story

"It was about an adventurer who managed to reach a peculiar land.....according to the story

he was lifted high above the highest clouds and when he stood aloft he could see the entire continents

below him and the things he brought with him would float mysteriously even without the aid of magic"

Papaya was eager to know more,

"Tell more old-man, about story"

the old-man then paused some more trying to recall

"he reached a floating land that was wreathed in metals and that the air itself was non-existent that he had to

use a special artifact to breathe properly....that is all that I can recall... you'll have to find the book to know more

it is somewhere around here in the great library"

Mivera then looked at the great expanse of the ocean of books that they must wade through to just find the book in question

the lady professor then voiced her fears

"that could take us months to just find"

Ania then added

"yes you are right I'm afraid....even with the book organization system we use to find certain tomes, not all books are documented

here it is just that vast"

Papaya was now distraught feeling that she reached a dead-end the old man then offered a solution,

"I do know of a way to find it, it is a special spell that finds a certain tome and returns it to

the caster, but I have to be the one to cast it since I am the only one who knows the story....

the spell works by using the memory stored in my mind and then locates and sifts the same

words in the library"

Mivera then recognized the spell

"from what I've heard that spell must be written and used in parchment for it to work....."

"very astute of you lady Mivera..." said the old man