The Library

The library was not far from the elven palace, so the group opted to walk rather than ride to the bastion of knowledge.

The sun hung low in the sky as the last bit of extended day was close to giving way.

"Have some hot food sent to the library, and send Zoltan and Their Majesties our apologies for missing dinner," Lanassa said to a servant who had joined them on their journey.

"Would you also send a message to Nanny not to wait for us. She can put the prince to bed and rest whenever she pleases." Aurora told the elven servant before she left. The elf bowed and went to complete her task.

The library was made of the same white stone as the palace but was less fluid in structure. Sharp, angular lines and geometric pillars adorned the building's façade.

A tall, willowy librarian greeted them at the door and led the group to a secluded area for them to work. As the library was already closed for the evening, the researchers had the facility to themselves.

Having had many more years to accumulate knowledge than most human libraries, the elven bastion had books on shelves that seemed to stretch on forever. Impossibly tall ladders stretched ever upward, while rings of balconies were placed every so often to delineate levels.

Its magnitude made Aurora feel very small. Lanassa noticed the change in the woman's attitude and her eyes crinkled in pleasure. "It is quite impressive, I think you will agree."

"I have honestly never seen anything quite like it." The woman loved books, and her surroundings made her feel like she was in paradise.

The queen mother tapped her chin lightly as she selected a seat. "Perhaps I should have brought you here before…"

"It would have gotten you further toward marrying Ithel than imprisoning me in your dungeon. That is for sure…" Aurora said, then frowned. "Though I suppose the end result would have been the same."

"Noted." Lanassa placed herself on a sofa, leaving enough room for the Guardian to join her.

"Let's get on with things shall we? None of you are getting any younger." Hanna ran her fingers across a shelf of books with her lips pursed. The Fate chose a circular chair with a thick cushion and sunk deep into its embrace.

Aurora shook off the feeling of inferiority that the library had instilled and found a lightly cushioned high back chair. The spindles mirrored the columns of the outside of the building.

"Now, please let me know what you have found." Aurora brushed off her lap and looked expectantly at the Guardian and queen mother.

"The short answer is: not much," Zan said. "Lanassa and I have been looking for answers, but nothing we have seen matches the wolf or lizard creatures. But we have many, many more books to search."

The apprentices, who had been quickly called back to the library, brought stacks of books to the group. Nurlan, unwilling to sit, scooped up the closest tome and began to peruse its contents. The others followed suit.

Hanna quickly perused the book in front of her using a tad bit of magic to make the pages turn faster. Her eyes barely needed to glance at a page before she moved on.

Zan and Lanassa each pointed out things to the other in different encyclopedias, a few of which Zan himself had written. The pair were obviously close friends. Though the romance was gone, the affection was still very strong.

The group went on only breaking for only a short while when food was brought from the palace. The progress they made was very slow.

Aurora closed the book about the myth of the snow leopards when she sighed. "We are missing something. I can feel it."

"Like what?" Zan asked.

"I don't know. Something! Do the elves have anything like this?" The Empress held out her hand to her personal guard.

From the satchel draped across his chest, Nurlan produced the Creaturepedia that the Storehouse has lent Aurora.

"See this? It has all sorts of magical and non magical creatures in it." She opened the book to show them the now extinct Afanc on the first page. She gasped.

Instead of a crocodilian creature with a beaver body, the first page had a very different image.

"Abominable?" Lanassa touched her cheek lightly. "I have not heard of that before."

"It.. it wasn't there before! The Empress stuttered. She quickly turned the book around and stared at the new page.

"That book is enchanted, dearie," Hanna said as she floated over to examine the new addition. "It updates occasionally."

"Updates how?" Nurlan asked the Fate.

"Magic, of course, General. What a silly question!" Hanna's tinkling laugh filled the room.

Nurlan opened his mouth to rephrase the question, but Aurora began to read the page aloud.

"Name: Abominable. Origin: unknown. Location: beyond the ice barrier. This mysterious creature lives alone and stalks the land at night. Some say it doesn't actually exist while others swear they have seen it roaming in the Whispering Forest."

"Does that mean there is only one of them?" Zan asked, confused.

"Only one that the book has on record," Hanna answered. "Didn't you get a map from the Storehouse as well?"

Nurlan handed over the scroll without being asked. It, too, had new markings on the one edge of the ice barrier. It was even more vague than the book. "It just says 'Unknown'… not the most helpful map, is it?"

"This new creature appearing at the same time as the lizards and wolves? It cannot be a coincidence. We should go and examine the area. Perhaps this creature will give us a clue or even lead us to our enemies." Aurora touched the map on the unknown symbol. Somewhere deep down, it gave her hope that they might be able to solve the mystery.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Hanna tapped her foot impatiently. "I will check it out. Forget what the doctor said about resting. We need to know what is happening over there this instant."

"But Hanna!" The Empress got no further before the Fate vanished from view. The air was tense, as no one was sure how long she would be gone. They did not have long to wait.

Almost as soon as she left, Hanna returned, her body collapsing onto the ground. Aurora ran to her and placed the Fate's head in her lap.

"I...I didn't make it," Hanna gasped, her skin glowing a pale blue. The Fate's eyelids were heavy as sleep threatened to overtake her. "The doctor was right. I...I need more rest before I try anything so drastic as that."

Justum and Metis appeared. They knelt around Hanna and the Empress. Their long white robes gathered in heaps on the floor, but for once, neither male seemed to care.

"We felt your cry for distress. What happened?" Justum took up Hanna's hand and held it firmly.

"Hanna tried to cross the distance to the Wandering Forest using magic," Zan explained. No one had seen him move from the couch, yet he was now at the Fate's side as well.

"Do you feel it?" Metis asked Justum.

"I do," the other male answered.

"Feel what?" Aurora's anxiety was at its peak. She wondered if there had been something more she could have done to stop Hanna from her foolish mistake.

With his free hand, Justum touched Hanna's forehead. He closed his eyes as if seeing something unseen. When he opened them again, they looked troubled.

"Fates have magical essence within them. It is what gives us such an imposing aura. It seems that whatever you did to heal Hanna's body did not replace the essence. I think that will take time and rest at the Mystic Spires." Justum glanced at Metis, who seemed to agree with the assessment.

"But the essence will come back, won't it?" Aurora was gripped by a fear that in saving her son, Hanna may have forfeited her own immortality.

Metis frowned. "It should. I see no reason why it should not replenish itself just like human's lifeforce, blood, does. This is uncharted territory, but I do think it will be fine."

"We will be taking Hanna with us. The Fates have all gathered in the Spires to discuss these new developments." Justum informed the Empress.

"As long as it is answers you are after, and you aren't going into hiding," the Empress kept her voice even, although the accusation was clear.

"We will return, Your Majesty. We have no intention of remaining once a solution is found."

The two males scooped up Hanna and draped her arms across their shoulders. The three disappeared without a trace.

"You didn't ask them to check out the Whispering Forest." Lanassa tilted her head.

"They wouldn't have done it anyway. Justum and Metis are not so willing to do what they see as errands. It just means I will have to make the journey myself." Aurora's blue-flecked eyes shown with determination.

"Do you think that is wise?" Zan helped Aurora stand and ushered her back to her chair. "You are still recovering also."

"I don't have any magical essence. I am quite ready to take on the world for the protection of my family and my people. If you don't know that by now, Zan, then you haven't been paying attention." Aurora chuckled. Her mind was made up.

Nurlan mumbled to himself. "We are clueless about our enemy, and now Fate-less for our journey...I don't like the omen...bad things always happen in threes."

Sure enough, Brinn appeared in the library. "Devrim's gone."