Caleb PoV
I wandered the seemingly endless maze of books.
I though I had finally reached the fourth sublevel… but instead the wall said 8.
… how in the world?
I only went down three flights.
They were big flights but still.
So now I needed to find a way up.
I walked and walked, and found another flight… going down.
… 9 and 10 were restricted, why on earth was an open staircase to them there.
There weren’t even guards.
“Because, that’s actually the way to the 4th Sublevel.”
“That doesn’t even make geometric sen- WHA!!” Barbatos had snuck up on me, and clearly read my mind.
“I mean, I’m surprised more don’t.
You smell of the Lamb and Leshy simultaneously.
I smell that sigil in your pocket, meaning my lord has respect for you, yet you smell more of the Lamb.”
Wait, how on earth could he tell that?!
“Honestly, what I’m more curious about is how Leshy couldn’t.
You smell quite like the lamb, even some of her wool is stuck on your elbow if my nose is correct.
My lord should’ve picked up on it immediately.
Yet he trusts you enough to give a sigil, which either means he let his guard down or there’s more to you than meets the nose.”
How, this guy was that perceptive?
No wonder people were scared of him, even Heket couldn’t tell that much, and we were literally at a picnic?!
“…
a picnic?”
Now he was confused, the worm was trying to process that thought line, so I took a chance and bolted, but as I ran a blade hit my thigh and I went down and he slammed me into the floor, while using a curse to open into a void that reopened into the Library.
Then he pinned me against a wall, his blade against my throat, the same one that cat just sold him.
“Listen, kid, I’m not one for killing people, I’m even called the Ordered because I prefer to keep things clean, but if you are a threat to Leshy, I will kill you here and tell him of your treachery.”
He was going to kill me, this was bad.
I would…
This would hurt Leshy, I can’t die here.
Ceres would be mad, I can’t die here
Heket would be vindicated, but she wouldn’t be happy.
They would all think I was a traitor.
It would hurt them.
I still needed to go to the Harvest Festival.
I promised Leshy.
Ceres is expecting me back.
I can’t die here.
All those thoughts appeared simultaneously and Barbatos clenched his teeth and clutched his head.
My leg was still hurt, but I hobbled, I needed to get out.
If I visualized the Librarian, I could lose him.
I focused on the desk, and walked downwards, but Barbatos grabbed onto me and as I walked up, my hand popped out, and as did my face but I was pulled back into my own transport.
So, me and Barbatos were in an in-between.
He was still clutching his head, and used a curse to boost into me, but the place had no gravity.
He grabbed and threw me, but still latched on, dragging himself with me as we crashed back into the library, at Sublevel 4, section 5, ironically.
“Listen, kid, I don’t know what that was…” He was recomposed way too quickly, and despite being half my height, he still slammed me into the wall.
“If you’re a threat to Leshy, I will end you.
But… whatever that surge was, was a contradiction.”
“What?”
“Your mind was split to concern about Leshy and Lady Heket as well as the Lamb.
That makes no sense for what you seem like.”
“What do I seem like?”
“You did seem like a spy for the Lamb, but…” he dropped me, I didn’t run, my leg had started healing but the muscles were still cut, “if you are a spy, that concern makes no sense… and my lord would have realized it quickly.
You’re strange, kid.”
“I… actually met Leshy on my first day knowing Ceres.”
He blinked, “Before full loyalties formed, so now, you’re between a rock and a hard place.
That is tough.
Listen, kid… what made you care about Leshy.
Not the later stuff, the first thing.”
“…
… he became divine when he was only 4.
He had no chance to learn right from wrong.”
“Does that excuse his wrongs?”
“No, but it means he deserves that chance.”
Barbatos sighs, “Listen, kid, you’re kind, but the prophecy was clear, a lamb will kill the bishops.”
“Did it ever say kill?
Because from what I know the prophecy only says that the Bishops will be four to three and so on.
Not that they die.”
He paused, and narrowed his eyes, “what are you on about, kid?”
“What if none of them had to die?
What if… what if they just gave up divinity?”
Barbatos was now agape, before bursting out laughing, it was a raucous thing from the hundreds-years old worm.
“Oh, my, that would definitely fill the prophecy, but think for a second, kid.
Do you actually believe any of them would even consider that proposal?”
“Leshy might.”
The pale worm sighed, and handed the hilt of the blade made by Kudaai, “Focus better, and move with purpose.
Keep pressure on your calves when running, and cut through the air.
Do that, and maybe you’ll survive long enough to propose the idea to a bishop.
Listen, I don’t think it will work, but I love Leshy, he is my god and my family.
If you have a way to save him… then save him.”
Then he walked off without giving me time for a response, I sheathed the blade made by Kudaai, a powerful one indeed… He wanted me to go with the plan.
That was support I didn’t expect.
Then I remembered what section I was in, and went looking for books on Dionynir.
After I looked for a bit, I found a book… by Saleos… one of Kallamar’s commanders.
Concerning the Previous Pantheon, a comprehensive study by Saleos, the… Lover…
That was certainly a title.
I read the inside… first three pages are not worth anything, as it’s a Prelude describing Saleos, himself.
I flipped to Dionynir’s section…
“He is a pig god, his powers are unknown, rumors state that he used to wear the Yellow Crown before Lady Heket, but those are sketchy, at best.”
The rest of the page was similar, with a drawing of a pig in a crown taking up half of it.
Curious, I flipped to Ygnya’s page, and there was even less, it had her name, that she “messed with temperature” and that no one knows her kind…
I looked further and that was the only book I found that contained anything about Dionynir past “he vanished one day.”
I mean, they likely don’t research former Pantheons, but come on!
Does no one think a literal deity vanishing is noteworthy?!
I mean… what if I went to the restricted section.
Quite likely, if Amdusias heard the name, it wouldn’t be these.
And, as a commander, he would’ve had access… I just need to find it… and this place is weird, so good luck, me.
I wandered and couldn’t find more stairs, but a pillar said 5… as in 5th sublevel…
What was wrong with this Library?
As I wandered I walked down stairs and found myself, again, in the 8th sublevel, and I saw a gate, with two guards.
Now, I could talk and try to convince them into letting me enter the library restricted to the Bishop and his commanders, or…
The gate was barred, so, I could see the other side.
Walk downwards, and up out behind the gate.
Then sneak down the stairs.
That worked… oddly well… I half expected something stupid to happen.
I walked down, and… yeah, that was a bit different, this looked like a personal study.
Unlike the counterintuitive maze of upstairs, this was an open field, the 9th sublevel was literally simply a catwalk with shelves.
I walked downwards and upwards out on top of the massive desk.
This definitely was Leshy’s; the chair was still as tall as me, even when I stood on the metal desk.
I read a few things, old books of rituals, handwritten notes on curses… but Leshy was blind, how did he make this?
My question was answered when I took a step and a massive plume of dust choked me, making me cough horribly.
This place hadn’t been touched in years at minimum.
At least, the desk hadn’t been touched, my step revealed it was actually a wooden desk… there was so much dust that it had been covered.
It’s amazing it wasn’t rotten.
I got off the desk and found that the floor around wasn’t dusty, the rest of the library was in use… they didn’t even clean this section… maybe they were scared by the dust?
I looked around further and found a book that seemed grey, before doing anything, I stroked it, and yep, it was dust.
I pulled it out, releasing the dust cloud, but I covered my mouth and nose until it cleared.
Then, I looked at the title.
“In Search of Dionynir, by Haro, Lord of Hunt.”
… Yeah, that would be exactly what I needed.
… I couldn’t just check this out, could I?
It would be obvious I went to the restricted section.
But, I can’t just take it, what if someone notices and panics.
… oh, I know
I walk downwards and up next to Leshy, who’s chilling at a table with tea, in his temple.
“Hey, Leshy, can I borrow this book from the Library?”
“Oh, I know that smell, that’s a good book.
Of course, it’s good to see you learning history.”
“Thanks, have a good day.”
I walked downwards and back upwards out inside my house at the camp.
I put the book down on a counter, and open to page one, where the pages are surprisingly well preserved.
Alright, now to see what Haro knows.