Even the Sand People had their children’s stories and legends.
Parents loved telling them to their kids.
Back in my old world, I never liked fairy tales.
Everything was too perfect, always ending on a happy note.
Even then, it felt completely unrealistic to me.
But the stories of this world were different.
They didn’t need to invent anything.
Tales of good spirits, past Avatars, heroes of old.
All of that surely existed.
But I only knew one legend.
Long ago, in the middle of the Earth Kingdom’s continent, towering spires rose from the desert.
Wan Shi Tong, “He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things,” came from the spirit world to fill his home with knowledge.
His doors opened to humanity.
Anyone could enter and use the endless rows of books.
The only payment was a manuscript of your own knowledge.
The spirit’s favorite guests were the Sandbenders.
They lived nearby for an incredibly long time and used all that knowledge for the good of their people.
The method of counting time with hourglasses was a gift from Wan Shi Tong to the entire Sand Nation.
In return, they named the desert after him.
Even now, some people probably stayed in that harsh climate just for a chance to meet the great spirit of knowledge.
“But the damn library got buried in sand, and now you can’t find it anywhere.”
Racing across the endless expanse, I felt like giving up.
What were the odds I’d randomly stumble upon it?
Zero.
So I had to comb hectares of terrain in a zigzag pattern, checking under every dune.
I was starting to regret not choosing to seriously study the desert back when I had the choice between returning to the bandits and exploring properly.
Maybe it would’ve helped.
Three days without rest, with red, tired eyes, all I saw was sand.
The first couple of days, these views brought more joy than the narrow walls of the cave with its swarm of bugs.
But now I wanted to howl.
Freedom, wind, the ability to go anywhere.
Yet not being able to do anything useful was depressingly boring.
The only thing keeping me sane was the boat’s speed, which let me reach other settlements and restock supplies.
Talking to people, I learned that we were in the ninety-eighth year of the war.
For me, that meant a lot.
But then…
the titanic effort paid off.
I stood smiling in front of a white spire rising from the earth.
I also started to understand why other Sandbenders hadn’t found this place.
Without the acceleration from a sandstorm, it would take ten times longer, and searching for it during a storm was a challenge with a star next to it.
My heart pounded.
The small tower seemed like the greatest threat I’d ever faced, because you couldn’t solve anything here with force.
To my relief, Anubis had taught me more than just killing.
To get inside, you had to offer some knowledge.
Sitting at a small table in my cabin, I stared doubtfully at the blank manuscript.
What should I write?
The spirit would surely judge me based on the knowledge I presented, and I honestly didn’t consider myself that well-read.
“Choose:”
1: Pass on knowledge of burial rituals and mummification (Anubis’s mastery is valuable.
The spirits will help you absorb the library’s knowledge better).
2: Pass on surgical knowledge (Egyptian physicians were so advanced that neighboring countries invited them.
The spirits will see you care about others.
If you stay in the library, they’ll bring you food). Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
3: Pass on lock-making methods (You know better than anyone how to secure and protect things.
The library is vast.
Not every visitor is guided along the right path, but sharing ways to protect books will get you anywhere you want).
“Hm, helper spirits?”
Blinking, I tried to recall these so-called spirits.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an unfamiliar creature sitting a meter away.
Startled, I realized a fox had silently entered my cabin.
The animal stared at the parchment I was about to write on with curious eyes.
“Um…
hi.”
“…”
“You’re the helper spirit, right?
Well…
I have a gift for you.” I smiled uncertainly at such an intelligent gaze.
It seemed eager to see what knowledge would be written down, so eagerly that it looked surprised when I patted its head.
“Af!” It yelped something, maybe annoyed.
Honestly, I’d have petted it more.
The spirit was incredibly soft.
But I didn’t want to provoke, let alone fight, such a tiny creature.
I raised my hands in surrender and pretended to focus on the parchment, thinking about Anubis’s offer.
To be honest, I’d thought about sharing knowledge of the Avatar.
But now I realized I couldn’t verify it.
The spirit of wisdom probably wouldn’t fall for predictions.
It might even think I was a charlatan.
The rewards were what mattered.
Just for the first option alone, I could forget the others and focus entirely on uncovering the library’s deepest secrets.
I had no idea how the foxes would help, but the option was the best.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much food.
Looking at my supplies, I figured I had three days at most, then I’d have to go back to the city.
And the library’s shelves must be enormous.
Even searching for basic knowledge could take forever.
But if the spirits helped me directly, I wouldn’t wander through endless corridors for weeks.
I’d get information as fast as possible.
In canon, the foxes apparently showed even the most secret places to heroes.
But I assumed they only did that because the Avatar was in the group.
I was just an ordinary person…
“Not many options here.” To avoid getting lost in the labyrinth, I had to write a detailed list of all possible ways to protect books.
The fox’s interest grew tenfold.
It started shifting from paw to paw.
“What, you’re hooked?”
“Grrr…”
“Alright, alright, I’m writing.”
Smiling, I finished a few pages of the manuscript.
I felt the fox tugging my sleeve with its teeth.
It carefully dragged me to the cabin’s exit, then ran toward the tower, constantly looking back at me.
It watched closely to make sure I didn’t run away, even when standing on a vertical surface like some kind of ninja.
Finally, using sand whips, I carefully descended inside, landing on a stone bridge lit by a single lamp filled with the luminous fluid of the buzzard-wasps.
Around me were giant rows of bookshelves.
Stacks of knowledge rose to the ceiling, out of reach without a ladder.
Looking down from the bridge, I saw only endless darkness. Find the original chapter at g.com.
It seemed as deep as the cave with the wasps.
I looked excitedly at the fox sitting beside me, then realized it was staring at something behind me.
I slowly turned and saw a giant owl looming over me.
Why were they all so quiet?
“You’d better leave this place, human.” Its calm voice instantly put me on edge.
Ordinary animals and people don’t cause such unease unless they’re ready to kill you in an instant.
“The great spirit…
Wan Shi Tong.
I’m a Sandbender, part of the people you once cooperated with.” I calmed my heart and bowed respectfully.
“My library is closed to humans.
You cruel creatures constantly use knowledge for evil.
Like that man who came here a few years ago and burned an entire section.”
“That’s…
awful!” My outburst made the owl pull its large head back.
“As a descendant of the people who helped build this great library, it hurts to hear that.
I think I’ve come with knowledge that should help protect the books from fools.”
I respectfully presented the scroll.
I genuinely didn’t want to fight.
The fox sitting nearby yelped something, catching the owl’s interest.
“How interesting.
Protection for my knowledge.
That seems reasonable, considering who might come here.” The spirit ran its wing over my hands, and the scroll vanished.
The owl’s pupils widened, as if it had instantly read everything.
An amazing creature.
“I see your intentions are serious.
But why did you come?”
“To learn about Air Nomad culture,” I answered firmly.
“And maybe learn more about Waterbenders and Earthbenders.”
“The Air Nomads…
a worthy people, who suffered the most from human cruelty.
Well, you can wander here.
My knowledge seeker is interested in you.
She’ll help you find what you want.”
Turning its back on me, the spirit calmly leaped off the bridge and flew down into the library’s depths.
I met eyes with my new guide.
“…My name is Dagot.”
“Af.”
“Got it.”
At my request, my new friend headed to the Air Nomad section.
We descended deep into the library until we reached a long row of shelves.
Tapestries depicting wind hung from the ceiling.
In canon, no one even mentioned this place existed.
I thought it had been destroyed too, like the Fire Nation section.
But no.
All the history, the scrolls with techniques, everything was here.
You could restore Air Nomad culture completely!
“Hah…
An Earthbender learning from Air Nomads.
If anyone found out, they’d shake their heads.” I started carefully studying everything within reach.
Learning other elements like a real Avatar.
Heh.