Research

Casimir stared at the door for a moment after Oscar had left, his words about Oliver echoing in his mind. He knew he couldn't afford to be distracted, not with the Blood Savannah assignment looming on the horizon. But Oscar having the same suspicions as him didn't go down peacefully in his mind. Oscar was a smart lad so his analysis was not something could just ignore, while he had his own suspicions.

"Blood Savannah."

Casimir muttered under his breath, pacing back and forth in his quarters. Things were heating up now and he was mood was already turning sour.

"I must learn as much as I can before we set out."

He shut the window to his room and put everything back in place, determination propelling him toward the library.

As he strode through the dimly lit corridors of the military campus, Casimir's thoughts shifted to the dangers they were likely to face in the treacherous region known as the Blood Savannah. The name itself conjured images of crimson-stained grass and unyielding predators lurking in the shadows. He hoped to find information about the region's geography, local flora and fauna, and any potential threats they might encounter. His Officers probably knew enough but for his own peace of mind he needed to find out for himself, being blindsided made him anxious and powerless.

"Knowledge is power… Damn talking to yourself again, Cass people are going to think you've finally lost it"

He reminded himself, quickening his pace. The journey to the library was a familiar one, though the silence of the night made the atmosphere feel more oppressive than usual. The stone walls seemed to close in around him, and the echo of his footsteps served as a constant reminder of his solitude in the hallway, majority of the cadets part of his squadron were in the training hall preferring to train their combat.

"Focus, Casimir,"

He told himself, shaking off the feeling of isolation. Upon reaching the library, he hesitated at the entrance, taking a deep breath as if to steady himself. With a quiet determination, he pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside.

The library, vibrant and lively before him while altogether silent a death such that he could assume he was deaf just but the lack of sound produced by cadets moving up and about. The doors hummed as the slowly made their way before Casimir like an ancient sentinel guarding its secrets. A labyrinthine collection of towering bookshelves stretched as far as the eye could see, creating a maze of knowledge that seemed to call out to him.

He approached the librarian's desk, where an elderly man in their blue-black military uniform with wispy white hair and spectacles perched on the edge of his nose greeted him.

"Good evening, young man. What can I help you find?"

The librarian asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. It was an action in tandem with the environment of the library. Deafening silence.

"I'm looking for information on the Blood Savannah, anything about the geography, flora, fauna, and potential dangers."

"Ah, a dangerous place indeed, you must be a part of the fifth squadron then. Your first campaign is in such a wretched place it seems alas blades are forged in fire aren't they."

"Yes it will be our first campaign, any advice you would love to share would be gratefully accepted."

The old man laughed while stroking his beard, his eyes trained on Casimir.

"Well not many of your squadron have visited the library yet and even less than have asked for advice, okay young man what you are looking for is in the fifteenth aisle some niche information will be in the twenty-third one."

"Thank you sir."

With a deep bow, he parted ways with the old librarian. As he navigated the narrow aisles, Casimir couldn't help but feel the press of countless stories surrounding him. It was as if he were walking through history itself, brushing shoulders with the ghosts of those who had come before.

"Here we are."

Casimir came to a halt and turned his attention toward a dusty section dedicated to ancient texts.

'These volumes should contain what I'm looking for."

He spent hours poring over the ancient texts, the words seeming to dance before his eyes as he read. The pages revealed the treacherous landscape of the Blood Savannah, detailing its twisting river that was known as the Sherith Canal, a trading route that was used by the Cestane trade and one of their sources of economic superiority. There was a lack of trees but no shortage of expansive plains, a testament to the land that was once used to farm. As far as abyssal creatures were concerned, there was not a specific species that would be found there, but the creatures had a general similarity in relation to the savannah.

"Interesting,"

Casimir muttered, his eyes narrowing as he read about a venomous serpentine creature known to inhabit the savannah. The interesting part was that the creature had three arms and instead of having a venomous bite one of the arms contained the venom.

In another volume, he found mention of an ancient town that had once called the Blood Savannah home before the rift champion responsible for turning the Savannah bloody in the first place arrived. They were said to have developed a unique fighting style designed to counter the region's many dangers that existed long before the Primordial Archfiend destroyed the land. Intrigued, Casimir studied the illustrations and descriptions, committing what he could to memory.

'Knowledge truly is power.'

He thought, feeling a newfound sense of confidence in the face of their assignment. As the night wore on, Casimir continued to delve into the mysteries of the Blood Savannah. He absorbed every detail, every tidbit of information that might give him an advantage when they ventured into the heart of the treacherous region.

"Death lurks around every corner in the Blood Savannah. Whoever wrote that must have been a pessimistic man, seeing as how this book was written it means he made it back alive didn't he?"

he murmured, tracing a finger over the worn pages. He paused for a bit and backtracked to what he said and confusion adorned his features.

"Maybe I wasn't supposed to take that in the literal sense, I must be tired again."

He closed the final tome and carefully returned it to its place on the shelf, a renewed determination burning within him. Casimir knew that the challenges ahead would be great, but with the knowledge he now possessed, he was more prepared than ever to face them head-on.

Casimir sat in the dimly lit corner of the library, surrounded by stacks of thick books and tomes. The flickering light cast eerie shadows on the walls.