Maze of Words

A low chatter hovers in the Scribe office, and Rajin women hustle every which way, heels and slippers clicking and slapping against the hardwood floor with them. Others sit at wooden desks lined up in long rows across the wide room, writing with feathered quills, laughing at current gossip, or simply resting their legs. Several crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, permeating the busy room with a soft yellow light.

Cage leans against the wall opposite the entrance, behind the rows of desks. Doors line this wall, and the one right beside him is where Yoru and Alyra disappeared to. Wish they'd hurry up, Cage thinks, I'm not sure I like the looks I'm getting.

Since entering this office, Cage has been drawing looks like that of a lion waiting to pounce on its prey. Yet with the woman he entered with close by, none approached. Once again, he finds himself thankful for Yoru's presence. Cage does not mind the eyes of so many women, but romantic feelings are not what these looks hint at.

Cage sighs. Now that he thinks about it, he never had a girlfriend in the eighteen years he spent on Earth. If he did, then it must have been in one of the still-missing memories. Not that it matters, Cage thinks. It would be nice to find someone, but for now, preparing for the journey takes center stage.

Cage scans the room before him. Rajin women still hustle to and fro, carrying stacks of books or notebooks and quills. Some walk in and out of the doors surrounding him, followed by Rajin men and other foreigners. As Cage looks, he sees one of the Scribes lead a familiar face into one of the rooms. It's the dark-skinned man that was at the Foreign Affairs building days ago, long white hair flowing behind him as he follows the Scribe.

The man glances at Cage, his eyes a pale white with no iris to be seen. He smiles, and then disappears into the room, the wooden door clicking to a close behind him. Cage furrows his brows. What was that look? Multiple possibilities run through Cage's mind, all of them with a weak foundation. Except for one. Does that man... swing the other way?

"Well, hello there. Are you here for a Record?" A soft voice breaks Cage from his thoughts, and he looks at the newcomer with raised brows. A Rajin woman leans close before him. She has violet skin a shade darker than Ingens, silver eyes, shoulder-length black hair tied into a half bun, and dons a white dress with bell sleeves that fan out over her hands.

"No... I'm just waiting for someone," Cage replies, leaning his head back as the woman brings her face inches from his own. For a moment, she comes so close that he can see every pore on the woman's skin, "What do you mean by Record?" he asks. The woman must have just walked in as Cage did not see her earlier.

"You came here as a foreigner and don't even know why other foreigners are here?" The woman asks with furrowed brows, standing straight.

"Uh... Well, yeah," Cage responds.

The woman sighs, "Why are foreigners so strange?" She whispers to herself, forcing a smile as she looks at Cage, "Anyway, foreigners are paid to come here and tell a Scribe about their home planets. We as Scribes are very interested in other civilizations, and some even travel to the planets themselves to acquire knowledge."

"Oh..." Cage says with raised brows, "...So that's why the others were looking at me like that."

"Oh, you mean the other Scribes?" The woman asks with a smile, glancing behind her at the crowd of women, "Scribes are given bonuses in pay for every Record they write. Even if the race and planet have already been recorded, there is always new information that can be pulled from a different person. It's become a friendly competition to see who can write the most Records each month."

"Really? Who's at the top right now?" Cage asks, genuinely curious.

"That would be the Head Scribe, with me, Valia as a close second," Valia responds, a sleeved hand to her chest, "It won't be that way for long, though."

Cage chuckles at the words, "Yoru is? That doesn't surprise me at all," he says.

"You know the Head Scribe?" Valia asks, one brow raised.

As if on cue, the door beside the two opens, and two women walk from the room, "You'll be fine, Alyra. I'll help out if I need to," Yoru says with a smile, holding the door open for the red-skinned Scribe.

"Thank you, Yoru," Alyra turns towards the Head Scribe with a smile, taking a step back to allow the door to close. She yelps as she bumps into something, spinning to see black eyes staring back at her.

Her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red, but she keeps her smile as she looks at Cage, who is around an inch taller than her, "Oh, I'm sorry, Cage. I have a bad habit of not paying attention to my surroundings," Alyra says.

Cage nods, his lips curling slightly, "I've noticed," he says, earning a giggle from Alyra.

"Alright, enough flirting. I've kept you for long enough, Alyra, you'll miss out on a day's work if you dally any longer," Yoru says, patting the novice Scribe's shoulder. She nods to her student, then looks at the woman beside him with a raised brow, "Oh, Valia. Still set on topping me in Foreign Records, are you?"

Valia scoffs, folding her arms before her, "And what if I am? I'm sure you've noticed how close I am to achieving that now," she says, words like knives.

Yoru waves a disinterested hand through the air, deflecting the invisible blades, "Yes, yes, I'm sure you are," she says in a nonchalant tone, walking past the hostile woman, "Come, Cage. And good luck, Alyra. I expect to hear good things about you," she calls.

"Of course. Thanks again, Yoru!" Alyra says, waving to the Head Scribe. She looks at Cage as he follows behind Yoru, "Bye, Cage! I'll see you soon!"

Cage turns his head as he walks, meaning to wave his non-existent right arm. This results in an awkward fumble until he finally raises his left arm and waves, chuckling nervously, "Bye, Alyra," he replies. He turns and follows Yoru through an opening at the side of the office that leads to a long hallway. A few doors line each side of the hall, and through the opening at the end, shelves of books can be seen.

As they reach the end of the hall, Yoru gestures to the last door on the left, "This is my personal office. If you ever need me in an emergency, I will be here. I'm always ahead of my work, and as the Head Scribe, no one can forbid me from leaving," she says, glancing back at her student, "Only for emergencies."

Cage nods, "Okay. I'll keep that in mind," he replies, "I, um... Are you bothered that you have to take time out of your day for me? I don't mind taking a break every once in a while if you are."

"No. I don't have to do anything. My brother asked me to take care of you, and I gave him my word that I would. Others may operate differently, but I keep my word, and I expect those around me to do the same," Yoru says, dress tail fluttering with her steps, stepping into the well-lit library, "Besides, with all that has happened recently, I appreciate the distraction. Idleness will only serve as a detriment."

Cage nods in response. His brows furrow as a question pops into his mind, "What were you and Alyra talking about?" he asks.

Yoru pauses at the entrance of the library, looking back at her student with a sly smirk, "You'll find out," she responds.

Cage nods slowly, forehead wrinkled in confusion, "Okay..." He mutters, stepping into the library and following Yoru down a short set of stairs, eyes scanning his surroundings. Bookshelves line the room, organized like a maze with several pathways. Ladders lean against each, and for good reason. The many bookshelves rise all the way to the fourth story, each one connected to the ceiling like structural pillars.

As they walk through the labyrinth, Cage looks through some empty shelves to see balconies lining each floor, all made of that same white marble along with the walls. Lamps hang from the edges of the bookshelves, along with small signs that Cage can't read.

Cage glances at his teacher as she leads him to the back of the library, "What are these signs for? Organization, I'm guessing?" he asks, eyes turning to study spines as they pass. Most of the books are massive, at least a thousand pages each.

"Correct. The library is split into three sections, Rajin, Foreign, and miscellaneous. The first two speak for themselves, and miscellaneous holds all available information about things like outland planets, the three languages, and Gira Mersa's records. The shelves themselves all hold a different subject. Some cannot be isolated to a single shelf, so they take up two. Some spread to three or even four shelves. For example..." Yoru stops beside a bookshelf connected with two others in a ring shape. She points to a shelf just above her head, yellow eyes turning to Cage, "This, and the two shelves above hold information about Trezerans, your supposed race."

Cage hums, studying the three shelves filled to the brim with dusty volumes, unreadable words written across the spines, "I guess I'll need to read a few of these to avoid being tripped up in my lies," he says. A recent memory pops into his mind, and he looks at Yoru, brows furrowed, "When I told Alyra that I was Trezeran, she said that she hadn't seen one in her entire life. Only her grandmother had seen them," he says, "Do they not visit anymore?"

The Head Scribe thins her lips to a line, sighing, "Not in a long time. They disappeared over a century ago, a few years before the Utherians began invading our planet. They were always very picky about which races they associated with, and I suppose they chose to sever communication with us. There are theories, but no one knows truly knows what happened. At least not anyone that has visited Raj," she says.

"You said they disappeared right before the Utherians began invading, and Kyro told me about how they and other races have been conquering planets for years. Could there be a connection there?" Cage asks.

Yoru pauses, tapping her chin with distracted eyes, "Perhaps. Azelah, the home of the Trezerans, is on the same branch as Raj, but several planets seperated. It is closer to the trunk than us, and the Utherians have been coming from that direction. If Azelah was conquered, then it would have been long before they stopped visiting Raj," she says, the words devolving to a mutter. Though the blue-skinned woman suddenly looks at Cage, silver brows furrowed, "Kyro told you about the war?" she asks.

Cage nods, "He did. He also said it was strange that you hadn't said anything about it yet," he responds.

"Really now? That battle maniac," Yoru says, turning and stepping to resume their trip to the back of the maze, "There is a reason for my hesitation. Come, let us find a seat and I will tell you," She glances back as she walks, "And next time you see my brother, tell him to worry about his own training."

"Will do," Cage smiles as he follows the Head Scribe. She seems to be getting better, but it could just be that her mask is becoming more solid. It still is not the right time to mention Mavyl. He's not sure if waiting is the right thing to do, but the thought of his words pushing Yoru deeper into grief twists his heart with guilt.

The teacher and student reach the back of the library, the maze of spines and shelves ending with a large open area. A few wooden tables are placed with plenty of space between them, Rajin women sitting at them with open books, quills, and parchment. Some of the women notice Yoru and her student walking from the maze, and a mix of waves and smiles follow.

Against the very back wall, a half-circle desk stands, surrounded by more bookshelves that line the wall. A solidly built man stands before the desk, speaking quietly to the librarian on the other side. The man has the head of a lion and stands nearly as tall as Ingen, donning a long blue coat that reaches down to his ankles. A yellow mane with orange tips flows from his beastly head, draping over the collar of his coat.

"Oh, I've seen him before," Cage says.