"Esylana!"
It was a deep night, dark and cold, save for the sparkling stars that splashed across the heavens in a glittering array. The moon was hiding her face, as she did monthly, and it suited the young auburn-haired magess as she made her way through the forest towards the great Tree of Life.
Former great Tree of Life. For Yggdrasil, as they so called it, had been touched and tainted by the goddess of corruption herself, but the magess was desperate for there to remain some magic within its roots, to carry her from here, this dying world.
She heard her name echo through the woods as she ran, and she hastened her pace, though the way was made all the more burdensome by the weight within her belly. She was with child, but she could not let this child be born here. Too much had already happened to this world, to her beloved friends, and she would not abide the prophecy coming true. If anyone could stop it, it was her. And it was now.
"Esylana, wait!"
She reached the great Tree, and with a fierce effort, wove her way through the tangled overgrowths of dead vines, prickly bushes, and the ever-growing roots that were so big the earth could not contain them fully. She was out of breath by the time she'd reached the heart of the Tree, within the trunk itself.
"Esylana, please, don't go, we can help you!"
The voices were getting louder. Somehow, they had known she would fly like this. Perhaps she had been more transparent than she'd imagined. It had taken every ounce of strength not to go and bid them farewell. She did not think she'd see them again. Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew this was a one-way trip. A one-way trip to...she did not know.
She worked fast. Pulled out the components for her spell, laid them in their proper positions, and then held the spell itself on the crumbling parchment. It was an old spell, she'd combed the libraries for it, and finally, after nearly giving up in despair, a single obscure thread had led her to this tiny tapestry of hope.
"Om nemneth, su goli es liath," she began, speaking the words with strength. The wind, where there had been none, began to whisper in a breeze, tugging at her robe hem. The cries of her friends, still in the forest looking for her, died as her focus drew into the spell.
"En latha, sol riath. Su goli es timneth," her voice dropped to a whisper, as the wind began to overtake her voice. She did not need to shout the spell. The magic was there, the Tree was starting to respond. A bitter-sweet feeling of success and loss filled her. This was it.
"Om nemneth, su riath, su goli sa lorae."
It was done. The wind instantly died, the silence deafening, as the air shimmered invisibly before her. It was a portal, good for one use. She would step through, it would close, and this world, her friends and family, would be safe from the coming Third Child.
She stepped into the portal, just as a pair of mages, the ones who had been calling her name, finally found their way through the roots to the heart.
"Es-"
Silence. And darkness.
~~~
(20 Years Later)
~~~
Somewhere, high in some unknown line of peaks, lies a library that is settled into the side of one of these mountains. It is not very well known, for whomever had built it, lost in the memories of time, had a mind towards privacy, and heart towards learning. But in spite of its lack of fame, the whispers and rumors of its existence still manage to circulate beyond the mountains and into the ether, carried to one distant land, or another, until seekers of knowledge, provers of fate, find themselves making the trip to find such a library.
After all, the most fascinating knowledge is the forbidden kind.
~Emotional Roller-coaster~
Dear Journal,
It's been a bit since I've written in you, and for that I must apologize. It's been a rather busy few weeks, and now the snows of winter are finally upon us.
I fear we missed the Day of Rememberance. We have had an increase of travellers in our small Grove, and most of them have been non-human. It's an added stress that I simply wish were not there, but there isn't much we can do about it, yet.
I'm about to head out to find the third leyline, but Zenra has been exhausted lately; I think the stress of missing her family and her curse is taking a serious toll on her. She won't be joining me. Neither will Crystal, due to a complication in her wound not healing right. We've had to fight off infection in her wound, and on top of that, she doesn't rest long enough to let it really heal. Alaihandra's frustration is an almost physical sensation at this point.
But Aeternita found me in the forest and asked if she could come along. And I'll admit, dearest journal, I was not looking forward to going alone. I would have if I must, but it makes the journey easier with a friend.
I gave her one of my cloaks to cover her wings - we don't need to be arrested on the road, after all. We cross the old border from Valanice into Advant tomorrow. I will write again, after we've found the leyline.
~~~
It was fun. It was distracting. It was...I felt young again. We reached the source to Advants' leyline, and as we were looking for the broken piece, I couldn't help myself. There's just something whimsical and fun about the snow.
Aeternita and I got into a snowball fight, and I lost track of time. But by the end of it all, we were drenched, shivering, and completely happy. It felt so...right. As if I'd done something like it before, and it was normal. It reminded me of winter in Aegara. I would get into snowball fights with Syria all the time...I think Atraya joined us once, also. But that was another world, another time.
I now am marked by half the sign for Earth. I wish I could study these symbols better and understand why they seem to be in two pieces. I'm sure there's some significance there, and the scholar inside me desperately wants to find out what it is. But I'm not going to get that chance...
~~~
*this part of the page is stained with many small drops of water, the handwriting darker in places than in others, as if the author was in a scribbling rush while writing*
Why did she have to ask? To bring it up? How did she even know!? And now Aeternita is upset (I don't blame her, really) and I think Zenra's upset, and...I'm just glad that Crystal wasn't there when Zenra asked. I don't know if I could've handled another person in tears over it.
I'm angry. I'm angry, and frustrated, and sad. I don't want to hurt them, but damn it, that's what's happening here.
Yes, I know how a Master Crystal is made, YES I know that I'm forfeiting my life for it, and yes, it is my choice. Thank you very much.
I don't think I can keep my promise to Crystal...
*the entry ends here, rather abruptly*
~Cold Is Elgardra~
Dear Journal,
The ink keeps freezing, it's so cold. I had always thought winter was cold in Valanice, or back near Spinesreach in Aegara, but I was wrong. Cold is Elgardra, and we are here only at the tail-end of fall.
It's a frozen wasteland, the ice and snow stretching for endless miles in every direction. How the caravan drivers know to find their way across it all is beyond me, but I have my job, and they have theirs.
I am beyond thankful for the friends who are coming with me on this journey. Now that I know what the leylines look like, as well as what to expect at their sources, it is easier, I suppose, to seek what is to be found. But only just barely.
Back in Valanice, we were seeking the leyline from the road, but couldn't see it. I knew the spectacles worked, because I had tried them in the library in the mountain before I left it. I wish I hadn't looked - the library is filled with an unspeakable darkness. I could very easily have damaged my mind if I looked for too long.
So after returning and being interrogated by the centauri, I knew that I had to act with haste. I have to re-establish those leylines and their magic, there's no way we can ever take on the Empire otherwise. I'm not sure how they're harnessing their magics, but I suspect they have control of one of the leyline sources, if not more. It is a problem that will have to be addressed eventually, and I hope we will be prepared when it is.
Crystal went with me to find Valanice's leyline, and if it hadn't been for a small white cat with wings and a bell on it's tail, we never would have found it. I don't know what this otherworldly creature was, but it could see us, and seemed interested that we could see it with the spectacles. It led us right to the leyline, before it disappeared. Knowing it was there, I didn't need the glasses to see it, I could hear it's little bell. Such a light, joyful sound, almost teasing in a sense.
Then came the hard part, of following the leyline, which we did, to it's source. It looked like a ruined temple, hidden away from the world in a small valley between the jagged peaks. The wind did not blow there, but I could hear the wind whistling through the peaks above, almost singing, but it was not a song. It had no organization.
The actual source appears to be a fountain-like bowl resting atop a pedestal - a Pillar of Heaven. It had a star symbol on it, but it was broken in half. Crystal found the broken piece, thankfully, and I took the time to push it back into place.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then I felt a searing pain in my left ankle. As if someone had pressed a white-hot brand into my skin, marking me, claiming me as their own. I later examined it, and I am marked with half the same half-symbol that was on the pedestal before we completed it. Half of the star sign for Air.
The leyline came to life, that cacophany of sound turned to true music, a lilting, mysterious tune that echoed across the mountains and through that tiny valley. And yet, I know it isn't enough to restore the magic in a practical sense. I will have to tether the leylines, and while I think a Master Crystal would do it, I have to be honest. I want it to be back-up plan.
I haven't told them, or been honest. Only Alaihandra and I know how a Master Crystal is made. And I'm willing to do what it takes, but...I don't want to hurt them...
~~~
We've woken to a blizzard. On the last day of travel to Glasia, the capitol city of Elgardra, we've been inundated by winds so harsh that they're like thin blades slicing through the clothes, the skin, and to the bone.
I am torn on whether or not we should go out in this. I looked last night before bed, and saw the leyline in the distance. But if we go into the blizzard, while we likely wouldn't be seen, we could very easily get lost and freeze to death. I didn't come this far for that.
Crystal tied a rope to Zenra and myself, she seems to think we can manage it. Zenra thinks we're nuts, it's far too cold. But I know it's now or never. If we get to Glasia, I don't know if we can get out of the city without going with another caravan. And getting out of a caravan is tricky business, what with the legionnaires that accompany it.
So out we go, into the snow, and the blinding cold.
~~~
It only took a few hours. We're back with the caravan, and they said we'll be moving again when the blizzard clears. Hopefully by tomorrow. But I do not care, now, I am resting and trying to stay warm.
And I am silently admiring this finished mark on my ankle. I now bear the complete star sign for Air. Just six more leylines and all that is left is to tether them.
We made it to the leyline in the blinding blizzard only by follow my ears. I heard the teasing little bells again, and I followed them. I think those little otherworld cats are helping us, but I don't know why. I don't know what they are, I really want to go back to the library and try to look them up. But I don't remember them being mentioned anywhere in my previous studies, and I combed those books thoroughly...
I can't wait to get back home again. Warm food, the beautiful grove, even the poor village of Darshire. I miss it all.
Ah, yes, note to myself - we need to try and help Zenra find a way to reverse her vampirism. I remember it was doable in Aegara. Surely it can be done here, as well?
Ever yours, Esylana Geldamont
~Follow That...Cat?~
Dear Journal,
I am exhausted. I am currently sitting by a campfire deep in the mountains of Valanice somewhere. We're so close, I just know it. I can feel it.
The centauri about a week ago interrogated me. The entire night, and most of the morning. No rest, no food, no water. No end to the barrage of questions. He would switch off with a trusted soldier, and then he'd be back again. The rumors of my being the Sae'ala had, apparently, been a disturbance of the peace, and now they wanted to know what I knew about it, all of it.
And I was as honest as I could be, and I even told them I thought they had the wrong person. But it didn't matter to them, and when I was ready to just collapse, they finally let me go. Thank the gods that Alaihandra was there to help me out of the village and home again.
I vaguely remember another person, he gave me a strange potion to help with my stamina. It tasted strange, and it worked, if only briefly. But Alaihandra didn't let him give me more - she likes it when the body heals itself naturally. She always was rather careful with medicating those who came to us for help.
But after such an event, I now know that I must go. I must go and find the sources of the leylines. And I can't afford to wait much longer. I fear we may even have to leave the Grove if the Empire gets aggressive.
And so here we are, almost a week's time away from the Grove, to the north in Valanice. I wasn't sure of the way, but I had the old map of Rembrant, before the Empire had its domination of the realm, and the spectacles worked.
I put them on around where I thought the most likely place the leyline would run through, and saw a strange cat-like creature.
It was pure white, furred, and had the shape of a cat, except for a pair of feathered white wings that sprang from its back. It's tail was bedecked with a little golden bell, and I had to let Crystal see it, it was such an amazing sight. She followed it, wearing the glasses, and I let her lead. And even though I couldn't see it, now that I was listening carefully and was aware of its presence, I could hear the faint and distant tinkle from its little bell.
It led us to the leyline, which, through the glasses, looks like a dried up river bed, but all aglow and running through things, like hills and trees. So now we're carefully following it as it leads us up deeper into the mountains. I know the source is somewhere up here. But what will I find when I reach it?
I'm almost too anxious to sleep. I think I'm going to go for a walk.
Ever yours, Esylana
~Thoughts V~
Dear Journal,
I am currently sitting by the fire, having just returned a few hours ago from the library. I was surprised the mists didn't bring me directly home, but I didn't mind the walk. It gave me time to clear my mind.
My inspiration to return grew after a young woman named Crystal came to us at camp, and asked to stay with us for the time being. Alaihandra has taken her under our care, and is in the process of teaching her about the local flora and fauna. Crystal is a huge help, and a sweet woman, and I am quite glad to have her around. She reminds me of friends I lost long ago. I pray I do not lose her as well...
That said, hearing how the Empire seems to be getting worse, if that's possible, with its persecutions, I took it upon myself to go and enchant a pair of spectacles I own. Well, I own them now. They used to belong to Alaihandra. I hope she won't miss them too much.
While I was at the library, I met Zenra again. She hadn't been aware of the soldier that Vas'Kas had intercepted, and I took my opportunity, given he wasn't around, to warn her that I believe him to be unstable. Zenra seems to be interested in coming to Rembrant at some point and helping me with my quest. I hope she does, if only to get her away from what I feel is going to be a very bad decision eventually.
She is learning how to use magic, herself. If I could establish the guild, I could give her a foundation to work with...
...Or maybe Alaihandra could...
In any case, I drew two ourobori, makeshift you understand, on the floor, and used the components I found in a spell there in the library, where I knew magic was still thriving. I am not very adept at that aspect of magic. Enchanting was a tedious subject to learn, with specific and repetitive motions and chanted litanys in different languages. And if you messed up the spell, you'd lose the necessary components, they'd be ruined. And if you -really- messed up the spell, you'd lose the item you were trying to enchant, too.
Chalk ourobori are very weak. But I wasn't looking to do a difficult spell. And it really wasn't one, either, because I managed to perform the enchantment without any problems the first try. A part of me wishes I had studied enchantment a bit more when I was with the Magi.
Coming back home, Crystal had found a poor soul who'd been badly hurt by the legionnaire soldiers, and was on the run. We have him resting now, after taking care of him and binding his wound as best as we could. It's a matter of watching over him now, and making sure he doesn't succumb to bloodloss in the night.
*The entry ends here, before picking up again a little ways down the page.*
I'm scared. A centauri soldier - a commanding officer - is looking for me by name. Has he come to find out why his man went missing? What am I going to tell him? I'm going to see him now. I'm leaving my enchanted spectacles and journal in the wagon, tucked away. I hope I come back for it.
Ever yours, Esylana
~Thoughts IV~
Dear Journal,
It's been a few days since I was at the library. I haven't gone back yet, but I am feeling inspired, once again, to try and go back.
I had mentioned that I was going to lay out my plan of attack here, and so I am. The leylines are not working right, and while it's been described as them having dried up, like little rivers and streams that no longer flow with "water", so to speak, I'm not entirely sure that's accurate.
The original plan was to enchant some sort of 'seeing' item, like a pair of spectacles, or a spyglass, or even a monocle to be able to see otherworldly energies. Using this item, I could peek through it and maybe find where the leylines were, and if there were any disruptions or disturbances. Breaks or leaks. That sort of thing that might make magic so weak as to make it imperceptible.
As I was researching in the library, however, I did find some interesting Rembrant lore. Apparently there are...sources of power in Rembrant known as the Pillars of Heaven. There were originally twelve nations, each ruled by a different government. Each nation had a Pillar, and a specific star sign to identify it.
It was, according to a piece of religious lore, an attempt at a peace treaty between the goddess of the night, Lady Lunai, and the goddess of balance, Lady Celeste. They were at war with each other, but that's a tale to be saved for another time.
In any case, Lunai was artistic and liked to make pictures with her stars, so she took eight of them and gifted them to Lady Celeste, who in turn assigned elemental aspects to each of the constellations, two constellations per element. It was a powerful bit of symbology that Lord Aurus, the god of magic, helped to create and gift to the people of Rembrant. It all seemed rather apologetic, if I remember right. The way they built the Pillars as a testament towards peace after years of horrific slaughters and wars...
I think these Pillars might be the...the springs, the fonts of the leylines. Their starting points. So perhaps something is missing from them there.
Finding them and gathering together the elementally charged starsigns. That is the current plan. Then, once I have all the starsigns in one place, I can go to the heart of the leylines where they intersect and perform the enchantment ritual to create the Master Crystal.
The Master Crystal, I believe, would amplify the magic and rejuvenate the leylines enough to restore the Land and give magic users a way to fight back against the Empire. And I...I hope to start a new Magi guild. A school where elementalism, crystalism, enchantment, and lorekeeping may be taught and held sacred, in spite of all alignment with good, or evil.
I am ever the Balance seeker.
Ever yours, Esylana Geldamont
~Thoughts III~
Dear Journal,
I'm so sorry, I'm quite jumpy. The Empire has me on edge, even though I really...I haven't done anything yet. But still, I feel as though they have eyes on me, all the time. Is this how conspirators feel? Constantly paranoid and on edge?
I wish I were only paranoid. I could probably get help for that. But the threat is real, and I can tell you how I know this. Because a legionnaire soldier followed me to the library in the mountains. I thought I'd be safe there, hidden among the books and the scrolls, outside the boundaries of the realm the Empire controls. But perhaps I need to stop being optimistic, and start being realistic. I need to tread more carefully.
I have a plan of action, which I'll outline in my next entry, but right now, I need to get this tension out of me, I want to write about what happened the last time I was at the library. I haven't been back since, because of it.
I had returned and copied a map of Rembrant I found in their archives, and then began to study in earnest everything I could find about the realm and its history, its lands, and even its cultures and people. I was looking for any and every hint I could at where the leylines were and how they worked. It was hours, and finally, I had enough information for the night. I would rest and return, and I started to pack up when I was suddenly shoved against the table, and my map was ripped from my hands. I looked up to see this cloaked figure dashing away, and I raised my voice in alarm, "Stop, no, I need that, somebody please help!"
Unfortunately, for the poor man who decided to steal my research, he ran into the lobby where Vas'Kas, a novice mage, and a young mer-lady were involved in their own work. And it was they who intercepted him. By the time I had joined them, he was pinned on the floor, Vas'Kas on top of him with a multitude of razor-sharp black feathers pointed at the legionnaire. I could now see what he was, his cloak being lost in the struggle. Perhaps more terrifying than the feathers, however, was the mer-maiden who was manipulating the water in her tea and using this to threaten the man with drowning, holding the liquid to his nose and mouth. He let go of the map he'd stolen, but I saw the look in his eyes - he was ready to die, and he was not afraid.
The mer-maiden saw this as well, and she released her hold over the tea, leaving him a spluttering mess while Vas'Kas shifted the position of the feathers.
Dear journal, it is hard for me to write this part...my hand shakes, and I am not sure I can describe what I saw. I don't really want to, I want to forget. Vas'Kas is surely a demon. I know I saw at least one that night. In all the horror, I saw what must surely be an arch demoness. And, I had thought that library was such a wonderful place. But now...I still love learning, and books, but...
The legionnaire was filled with insects that looked simply horrifying. He was kept alive, and the insects are also alive in him. Vas'Kas wanted answers, why was the man there, who was I really. No one came to the library to cause trouble without very good reason. He didn't want the map. He wanted me. Vas'Kas would've asked me, but then he stated I couldn't be trusted, I would only lie.
Perhaps he's right. I don't know if I can trust him. I don't want to now, certainly. He took that poor man, that soldier of my enemy, to torture and pull the truth out of. Enemy of mine though he was, I never would've wished that fate on anyone. I cannot go back. Zenra is on her own. I will have to find another way to discover what I need to bring my plan to fruition...
Or maybe I should just give up altogether...
*Again, the entry is cut off almost unnaturally, the bottom of it wrinkled, as though someone had been twisting the paper and smoothing it out again.*
~Thoughts II~
Dear Journal,
There is something so refreshing, and enlivening about the thunder, the lightning, and chilly rain as it cascades from the heavens. I absolutely love it. The way it is gloomy and meditative, and how it refreshes the earth and brings forth new life. I know the Land is dying, but to see the way the rain soaks into the ever-thirsty roots, I can only hope that nature is helping to care for itself. But a sip does not take away thirst, and a meal cannot end hunger.
I had returned to that library to research some more, and in doing so, I found Zenra again. She was still there, being cared for by Vas'Kas, or so it seemed. When I saw her in the library, she was wandering around wearing only a bedsheet as a wrapping.
I must be honest, here, journal, I do not like or trust Vas'kas, but I think he might feel the same way about me. I had to ask her where her clothes were, I wasn't sure he truly had her best interests in heart after all. I almost invited her straight back home with me, but I know that Alaihandra might have died if we had an uninvited visitor. She's so protective and particular of what we have, and I understand why. When you have almost nothing, you can't afford to lose any of it. Though, when one truly has nothing, then there is nothing to lose...
Ah, the twisted logic of philosophy.
So I found Zenra in the library, barely dressed and quite frantic. She seemed to have lost her bag and I, thankfully, had found it when I first arrived at the library that day. Getting back to the library was surprisingly easy, by the way. I only had to walk into the forest, in to the thickest part of the mist and think exactly about where I wanted to go, and then there I was. I suppose some magic may still work in Rembrant, or perhaps the library's magic was bleeding through and allowing me to call to it. In any case, I made it back within minutes, as opposed to days.
I gave her her bag, and she seemed quite relieved, until she discovered a journal of hers was missing. I don't know if she was being honest, but she insisted it held fragile research that she didn't want people to read yet, and when she found it, it looked like someone had been reading it. She was devestated. And I tried to reassure her, because I have experience with such delicate projects.
I remember when I was working with crystalism and how each crystal, when spun and embedded into the ground to release its vibrations, actually vibrated at a specific pitch, and the spells were created with intervals. But when I took my research to a fellow guildmate...she not only scorned and laughed at my work, but had me followed and spied upon. I had tried to share it with someone I knew would appreciate it afterwards, but they were of an "enemy" guild. And as such, I ...well, I learned a very hard lesson, even though I had once been a respected member of that guild.
*There are stains here, as if someone had dropped a few droplets of water on the journal page.*
It seemed to help, and really the conversation is vague now in my memory. I think the exhaustion of trying to find what I was looking for in the library was finally taking its toll on me, and in my exhaustion things have become fuzzy.
Though, I do remember our conversation being interrupted quite clearly by a naked Vas'Kas. By the very stars, that man is an ass, and it's appropriate too, for more often than not his ass is hanging out. It's a miracle the fellow knows how to knock and show some politeness, which he attempted when he knocked on the door to the chamber we were in.
But his au naturale state was a bit too much for me, so I'm afraid I slipped out and...well, I think Zenra would be able to fend for herself. At least...I hope so...I haven't seen her since...hrm...maybe I better make my way back to the library sooner, rather than later.
*The entry ends here suddenly, as though something had interrupted the author.*
~Thoughts I~
Dear Journal,
The last few days have been a bit busier than I expected, but I finally have a moment to myself to write down my thoughts, and feelings on what has occured.
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, when Alaihandra told me to go and find a library. It seems that most of my adventures begin with the seeking of knowledge. So really, should I be surprised that in finding this mythical library that shouldn't exist but does, I also found people with strange powers and unique history of their own? Certainly not, but I suppose only wonderous individuals would manage to find such a library in the first place.
It's so peaceful there, and the scent of aged leather and wood is almost as calming as the herbal teas the monks serve to visitors. I love it there, and it reminds me heavily of the Magi and their old library - ah, the hours I spent there, researching the coming of the Children and the true destiny the guild must serve.
But there's a good chance, now, that I'll not be able to return. I suppose I should start at the beginning.
I met an elf, a rather strange looking elf, of a kind I've never met before, and in meeting her learned about a Queen of Death, also of whom I'd never heard of before. But the topic of gems and crystals came up, certain ones called soul gems, and before I knew where the conversation had even led to, I found the elf was transforming before me. But I'm not sure she would've transformed entirely if it hadn't been for -him-.
Yes, -him-. This other elf, who looked similar, but not quite the same as the elf I was speaking to (her name is Venra, by the way), came up to us while we were talking as if in a trance and upon seeing her, grabbed hold of her and started to chant at her. It was something I'd never witnessed before, and whatever he had done, this elf (I think they call themselves Raven Elves?) pushed Venra over and she transformed into this mighty winged creature the likes I'd not seen before. I wanted to intervene and possibly stop what was happening, I know that Venra was concerned she'd been possessed by the aforementioned Queen of Death. But he raised his sword at me, and I'm not a fighter. I didn't even have a weapon...which in hindsight seems very short-sighted. I might need glasses...
Anyways, I stood there and watched as the two had a silent communcation between each other, the male elf (his name is Vas'Kas, I'm really bad at remembering names...) nearly in tears from what I could see, and she finally collapsed, losing herself back into Venra. He finally addressed me with some modicum of respect, even as he held Venra, and assured me that she was safe with him, that she was his queen. And from the way he had defended her so hastily, I had no choice but to believe him. I hadn't come to the library to get involved in other people's affairs, I came to seek answers to my own problems and questions. But it was late by this time, and I needed to get home. I don't like leaving Alaihandra alone for long periods of time, and it's already been over a week.
But there is some magic to the library. For stepping into the mists outside, I found myself suddenly at the edge of the grove we call home. And it was one of the most welcome sights I'd seen in a long while.
My hand is cramping up, and the ink is running low, so I'm going to come back to this.
Ever Yours, Esylana Geldamont
~The Library In the Mountain~
"Oh, wow..." Esylana murmured as she entered the library for the first time.
Her path had been met, a few days after the inn, with a very thick fog, but in her determination, Esylana had kept going, instead of stopping until the weather cleared. The result was to find herself suddenly stepping carefully, for the path was crumbling away on one side, and she was on a mountainside, looking out at an unfamiliar valley below.
Ahead, a small plataeu stuck out from the side of the mountain, where a zen-like garden was being tended to by a monk wearing heavy red and black robes. He looked up as she approached, and welcomed her to the library, motioning towards the large pair of doors in the side of the mountain.
"I've made it...it's here, it actually exists..." she whispered in awe, still not quite comprehending that, perhaps, her faith had indeed led her to her desired destination.
The entrance was impressive, the lobby warm and welcoming, and beyond rows and rows of shelves could be seen, with small alcoves fitted with tables and couches for study lining the walls here and there. A warm crackling fireplace was nearby, and from behind a shelf shuffled a monk, carrying in his arms a stack of books which he, almost meditatively, began to sort away onto the shelves. Enchanted or not, the place certainly had a magical feel to it.
Esylana slipped deeper amidst the shelves, her eyes taking in all the details, the shelves, the sections, and made mental notes of places she would be quite interested to return and use for study purposes.
And then she saw it - an entire section devoted to the study and interpretations of prophecy. She couldn't help herself, she was drawn to it. Her mind whirled with memories of leaving Aegara, and coming to a new world which the locals had called Zalanthas.
~~~
She remembered giving birth to a healthy baby boy, and naming him Tektolnes, which meant 'Third One' in the ancient tongues of Aegara. She remembered how she'd been afraid of the child becoming what he was prophesized to be, and then she remembered how it had happened such. At a young age, he had mastered the basics of elementalism, and by seven, he had become the village bully. It was when he was 16 that things had come to a head, and he had begun to terrorize the people and the land, and when Esylana tried to stand up to him, he had cast her aside and out of the realm.
She had fallen into Rembrant, and when she'd awoken, she was alone. It was many weeks of travel, begging, and getting help from strangers before she finally found someone she knew. Alaihandra, the former tutor for the guild she'd been a part of in Aegara. It had been a tearful reunion, and Esylana found herself quick to forgive, in spite of the damage Alaihandra had done to the guild.
They'd lived in obscurity, witnessing the Empire taking and doing as it pleased with the people and land of Rembrant. It had angered Esylana, and she kept speaking of rebellion, of rising up and taking the Empire down. But she never had the power to do it. And being separated from the elements so suddenly had its toll on her. She felt like a very dear part of herself was missing.
She was in the middle of her reminiscence when she heard a loud crash from somewhere nearby. And being a curious soul by nature, Esylana went to investigate.
~The Sae'ala of Rembrant~
And so the old lady's tale went:
"Long ago, almost 100 years ago, Rembrant was not one nation, but many. And of those nations was a nation called Valanice. Its ruler was a woman who looked very much like you, with auburn hair and hazel eyes, and a face that was quick to smile.
She had a love for her people, the world she lived in, and any who came to her seeking refuge or aid, she helped. She loved learning, riddles, and books. Valanice became a bastion of magic and learning, that even Lord Aurus, the God of Magic took keen interest in.
But Queen Esylana was cursed with a heavy burden. It is said the Ancients, like herself, would remain young forever, but Death would eventually claim them. But not she, for the Land, the Source of All, claimed her for It's own. She would be it's Avatar, and when the gods and goddesses, for they came from the Land, grew out of line, she alone would be able to seal them away, and save the Land and it's peoples.
Such a time came, and the Sae'ala performed her duty, sealing away the gods and the goddesses that would have destroyed the Land in their petty fighting, but the damage had been done. Such a curse as had never been seen stretched its deadly mists over the Land, and while the curse was finally lifted, the people had lost faith, nay despised magic. For they now blamed this power to be the source of all their troubles.
It led to a rebellion within Valanice, led by man named Arduin Geldamont. He was a simple man, a soldier who had heart and was fiercely loyal to his people. They supported him, and he marched on the capital, dethroning Esylana and taking it for himself by the will of the people. And so the flow of magic died within Valanice's borders first.
For a time, all seemed peaceful after this. King Arduin took Esylana as his queen eventually. And it was something of a relief for the people. While they disagreed with how she had ruled alone, with her magic, now it was acceptable, for she had a husband and the magic was no longer there.
But peace never lasts long. And the remnants of a kingdom called Roth rose up and began a conquering march under the new banner of Coventine. Their first conquest was the dragons of Hakan, for their ruler, Lord Aurus, had been sealed by the Sae'ala, and they were weakened without his guidance. The edge of having dragons at their command gave them the rest of Rembrant, with Arduin and Esylana being captured.
What happened after that, I cannot say. It is almost certain that Arduin perished in the Arena, for it was a spectacle that was heralded far and wide, for people to come and witness. I know not whether Esylana was there to see his death, or what became of her. I believe she escaped, however. The Empire seemed to be intent on hunting down red-headed women for a brief period there, but I know not if anything came of it," the old woman finished her tale, looking at Esylana silently. She had been caught up in her story-telling, but now was regretting it as she saw the tears that fell from the Esylana that sat across from her.
"I'm sorry, I-...your tale has moved me, that is all," Esylana hastily said, wiping away her tears. But inside, she was all aflurry with pain and confusion. The man mentioned in the story, Arduin. She'd married a druid named such, in another world. Could they have been incarnations of their previous selves here?
The innkeeper's wife offered Esylana a free room for the night, and Esylana took it. It felt more important now, than ever, to find the library in the mountains. She needed answers, and she was at a loss of where else to look.
~I'm A What Now?~
Alaihandra had said that, perhaps, an answer could be found in a library. Of course she was right, but Esylana was frustrated. The small village they had settled near had no such capacity for learning, or discovery, nor did those poor people have a desire for it. The years had not treated them well - or perhaps more accurately, the Empire had not treated them well.
But it was for this very reason that Esylana knew she had to go forth and try to discover a way to return unto the land its magic. And so she listened, and sought, and any travellers on the road who were making their way through suddenly found they had a companion on that short stretch of road outside the village of Kolyma. She was sweet, caring, and ever attentive to the tales they had to tell, if any.
It was a few long months through the summer of this sort of searching, when finally, one such traveller told the tale of a nigh unreachable, obscure library that was hidden within distant mountains and tended to by monks.
Filled with hope, Esylana gathered together a knapsack of supplies for the journey, before bidding an ever-skeptical Alaihandra farewell.
"Faith will guide me, and hope will see me through. I know it exists, for such rumors cannot exist without even the smallest grain of truth. And we are hungry for hope, our people need help that only a place of learning can provide. I would act with knowledge, rather than ignorance," Esylana explained, even as Alaihandra doubted that the library could be found. It would be a long journey, and dangerous. From brigands, to wild animals, and even to the Empire that would surely seek to stop her.
But Esylana was convinced that the Empire cared not for her, as she and Alaihandra were acting under the guise of being peaceful herbalists and healers. And so Esylana took to the road, her step light, a soft song on her lips.
~~~
After a week of travelling, Esylana came to rest at an inn by the road, weary and needing of nourishment. It was there that her first problem arose. She was recognized, which was utterly baffling to her. She had kept a low profile these past four years, but now suddenly there were furtive glances in her direction, whispers, and finally, the innkeeper's young son ran up and tugged on her sleeve.
"You're the statue lady!" he said, eyes wide. Esylana regarded the young child in confusion, then laughed.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, looking to the child's father for clarification. But the innkeeper looked at her with a mix of awe, fear, and hope.
"Your name isn't, perchance...Esylana?" he asked finally. She felt her blood grow cold at the question, an uncertain dread filling the pit of her still-empty stomach.
"If...if it is, is that a problem?" she asked uncertainly, her hand closing around the strap of her knapsack. If she needed to run...but why should she run? She told herself to logically calm down, mentally battling her emotions. There had to be some reason these people knew her, and there was no reason for her to run. They couldn't know she was trying to bring down the Empire.
"If you are she, if you are truly our Sae'ala returned to us, then praise! Praise be to fate, mercy, and all that is just," the inkeeper cried, now openly turning the heads of the other patrons. The murmurs were growing louder and some were even now openly pointing at her.
"I think you must have me mistaken for someone else. What is a 'Sae'ala'?" she was trying to get a grip on the words being used, these foreign terms. The word sounded familiar, but then again, a lot had sounded familiar when she'd first come to this world of Rembrant. She no longer trusted her gut here, and that'd been four years ago.
"Sae'ala, the god-sealer, the avatar of the Land and It's will. You have returned to us, our prayers have been answered," the innkeeper babbled. He was fervently looking at her now, before beckoning to his wife. "Come, wench, bring her drink, and food, free of charge, we shall show her all hospitality."
"Th-that's really not necessary, I can pay," Esylana stammered, feeling the heat in her face rise. But they were not listening, and at their insistence, she ate, drank, and made herself at home.
Seeing her discomfort and confusion, the innkeeper's wife took it upon herself to sit with Esylana and explain. She didn't know why the Sae'ala did not remember, but it was important, if she was the Sae'ala returned to them, that she be aware of her past self.