A New World Book

"Climbers…" Calliope read further into the book, gaining new information that deeply interested her.

The others in the group rested after the quick fight. Colton crossed his arms while standing next to Calliope, expecting her to give another order after she read from the book.

Soon they returned to talking once the twins finished healing them, chatting to one another on the fight that just happened.

The twins returned to Calliope's side and Colton noticed Oliver's face of relief. For the first time in their mission he healed someone without using too much energy.

"This book mostly speaks of these odd people." Calliope explained.

"It seems they use ropes to a heavy degree as a makeshift weapon." While she continued, Marcus laughed.

"A rope? Guess anything could be a weapon anyway." He commented. Calliope continued reading from the book, flipping pages quickly and getting information quickly from each one.

Calliope closed the book after skimming through enough pages.

"Let us begin moving, we gained enough rest and a book that provides great information for what could be ahead." Nobody objected to her order, already prepared and fully healed.

Soon, the team departed their resting spot, hoping they may return to it again to rest.

The atmosphere of the pathway was darker and the air felt heavier, the way ahead seemed harder to see.

Along the way, Calliope dragged her hand across the bookshelf to her right, quickly plucking up thick covered books just to send them to her storage.

Calliope continued reading from the book earlier, heavily interested in its contents, and what else it could hold. Either to gain information for the mission, or to pass the time and entertain herself.

Along the way, she began speaking on what she read to the group.

"Expert in climbing, they tend to use ropes or whips for combat and other purposes. Rarely leaving the trees or heights that they rest in." She explained, Colton couldn't help but listen to her talk, a break from the eerie and madness-inducing silence. The rest either ignored what she said or joined in on listening.

She continued with this, giving bits of information or trivia on these people as time went on. Colton did not know if she was doing this out of impulse or in an attempt to bring some light or noise to the silent area they were in.

Colton became more and more used to it, no longer feeling uneasy with the quietness of the place.

"Around one hundred thousand books passed." Calliope spoke. Colton was shocked by the number, realizing they had gone farther than he expected.

Colton walked behind Calliope and the twins again, holding his weapon in his hands, trying to clean and check for damages.

Behind Colton, the others were silent, unlike earlier, the new area most likely changing their demeanor as they held onto their weapons and looked around.

"Quill, may you and Celestine climb to the top and see if there is anything new?" Calliope ordered. The two quickly sheathed their weapons.

"The two heeded her order, grabbing onto the bookshelf, they began racing to the top.

Everyone else stopped to look up at the two. It took much longer, but soon their silhouettes disappeared as they reached the top.

"The climbers were a set of settlers that ventured to the mountains, soon returning to share what they had brought. They were noted to be more nimble and fast reacting. And have even created large structures atop the mountains they were sent to." Calliope explained. From her face alone, she seemed to be enjoying the book.

The two began making their way down after spending a few minutes at the top. The rest waited for them on the way down, eager to hear what they found.

"We found nothing, but the place felt much bigger. And we felt a lot smaller." Quill explained.

"Apart from that, we did not see anything new around us. Just the light above and the rather big bookshelves. Still can't see their end from where we stood." Celestine added.

Calliope nodded at their responses.

"Very well, let's keep moving."

The team continued their walk with little delay. Oliver seemed to be doing well in keeping up with the group, barely breaking a sweat as well.

Colton was unsure how long they had been walking for, or how they had gotten into the pathway. But he still felt well, with no signs of becoming tired.

Calliope returned to speaking passages from the book.

"We reached about three hundred thousand books by this point. We are starting to get closer to the middle." Calliope reported to the group.

Colton still felt shocked by the number.

'Those page things really did help.' He thought to himself. Managing to go so far without needing to rest.

Calliope began to drag her hand across the bookshelf, taking more and more books that were marked.

'Is she really gonna read them all?' Colton asked himself, staring at Calliope as she continued on.

Time passed, Colton only hoped that they were closer. The atmosphere felt more dark while the air still felt heavy.

Behind him, the others were busy looking at the environment around them. Staring at the larger bookshelves and thicker books that rested on them.

"Four hundred thousand books passed. Remarkable progress." Calliope informed.

Colton was happy by the news, they were getting closer to where they needed to go, and in a shorter time as well.

His mind nagged at him for what could come. With what they fought earlier, what enemies will the book world offer against them?

But all Colton could do for now is see for himself.

As they got closer, everyone was already preparing themselves for what was to come. Marcus, Celestine, and Quill were all looking straight forward with focused eyes.

Soon, they reached their destination. At the center of the pathway.

Their eyes gazed in awe at the book they were meant to enter.

It rested higher on the bookshelf, the smaller books stood just next to it on both sides.

All were sealed and bound by hundreds of ropes, closing it shut to any outsider. Large knots could be seen on all four sides, possibly binding all that rope together.

"What'll we do now boss?" Marcus placed his hands on his waist, looking up to the massive book.

Celestine and Quill approached the bookshelf, expecting Calliope to order them to climb.

Though, Calliope stood silently for a while, looking at each tied book.

The ropes were thick, almost the size of a whole person, it'll take awhile just to cut them. But the ropes on the smaller books seemed more thin.

After a moment of thought, Calliope walked closer to the bookshelf and held onto it with a hand.

"We will climb up and either unravel or cut off the ropes. Understood?"

Colton was confused, he only had a warhammer so he was unsure how he could cut ropes with it, thus he decided he could try unraveling the ropes. If they even could he untied.

The members of the group began climbing up the bookshelf, with the larger size, it was more difficult for Colton to move quickly to the first book.

The healers joined in, using their new found weapons to help the others as they began trying to cut off the ropes.

Colton stayed near one of the smaller books, trying to unravel the first knot on it.

The knot was tight and hard to budge, but he could feel it slowly start to move.

The others hacked or cut into the many ropes, one by one strands began to dangle to the sides.

Finally, the first knot was untied, with the ropes cleanly falling to the ground.

More and more ropes began to hang below the large books as the team continued cutting them.

Colton was almost finished with his book, untying the third knot. The book looked more clean and showed more parts of itself, once hidden by the dense layers of rope.

Soon, the books were all freed from their restraints.

The team quickly got back down, admiring their work. All that was left was to awaken whatever was inside the books.

"Prepare yourselves. I am still unsure what we will face." With that, Calliope left the group and began climbing up again, this time to the massive book.

Her hand began to glow as she got closer.

Once she reached the book, she planted her hand onto the cover, waiting for a few seconds for something to happen.

Suddenly, the book swung open with great force, throwing Calliope to the other shelf, causing more books to fall to the ground.

But before she fell, ropes burst out of the large book and wrapped around her.

Before she could even react, the ropes suddenly threw her hard to the ground, causing the wooden flooring beneath her to crack.

The twins immediately rushed to her aid while the rest of the team readied their weapons.

The large books began to glow, open as well.

Figures started to take form all around the team, more numerous than before.

From the piles of scattered books and the large books that rested high from the ground, the team was surrounded.