by Dixon, TJ
“Are black people more likely to be slaves in Contractia?” I ask Rin.
“The Fallen Angels prefer to use black people because they are also black. As a result prisoners of war, both in this war and wars past are often black. Prisoners of war are normally sold as slaves to fund the war effort or used as human sacrifices for spells like the one we stopped yesterday. If they are captured by an independent company the captain decides their fate. Otherwise the Queen or someone acting on her behalf does. The descendants of the original slaves are also slaves unless their master is kind enough to free them. So being black doesn’t make you a slave but a lot of slaves are black.” Rin says.
“I’m glad my brother doesn’t have to see this.” I say with a sigh.
“You have a brother?” Rin asks in surprise.
“And a sister. My brother is black though.” I say and Rin’s mouth falls wide open.
“Wouldn’t you be black too if your brother was?” Rin asks.
“No, our bodies are unrelated. We are siblings of the soul.” I tell Rin.
“I really don’t get that.” Rin says shaking her head. “You should really stop talking about souls and spirits though. I don’t personally care, but most people will look down on you for it.”
“Why?” I ask confused.
“Because Contractians don’t believe in such things. Sure we know magic and gods are real. We don’t believe in life after death or anything like that though.” Rin says.
“But spirits are just as real as magic.” I tell Rin but she just sighs.
“I’m not telling you to stop believing in such things, but it would be wise to stop mentioning them.” Rin tells me.
“It’s not like I go out of my way to mention them.” I tell her.
“Well it’s your choice, but it annoys me when people look down on you for something so silly.” Rin says.
“Yesterday I summoned a spirit to defeat that girl.” I tell Rin. I can tell she doesn’t believe me though. I was fortunate that the spirit of that tower so obviously hated the girl. It couldn’t stand what she had turned it into and the sacrifice of all those boys would have defiled it. It was a weak spirit but with my help it was able to enter her mind.
“Everyone join the middle queue.” Professor Schwarz tells us. I look up and see a huge building even bigger than the academy.
“The Ancient Library!” Emi exclaims.
“You only just noticed.” Sor says mocking her. I am not the only one puzzled by her cold attitude towards her friend.
“I’m sorry.” Emi says to Sor as if she is the one who should be apologising.
“Pay more attention to your surroundings in the future.” Sor says and Emi nods accepting her words.
“Stop standing around everyone! Get a move on!” Professor Schwarz tells us and we all quickly join the queue. It is long but moves quite quickly. The queues to either side of us are long but don’t seem to be moving at all.
“They’re for non-mages.” Rin tells me. “I read that people in those queues sometimes wait most of the day to enter.”
“Sometimes people queue all day and get turned away before they get to enter.” Emma tells us.
“Seriously?” Rin asks sounding shocked. I must admit I am shocked too.
“Yes. It really isn’t good to be a non-mage in Portalis, City of Mages.” Emma says looking down darkly.
“How do you know?” Rin asks.
“My aunt used to tell me all about Portalis.” Emma says. “She was lucky to be a mage but she still saw what it was like not to be one.”
“We’re almost at the front already.” I comment.
“Yes, if you are a mage it doesn’t take long.” Emma says. Then we are passing through the doors. Once inside Professor Schwarz tells us we should look around on our own. We are to meet up near the exit at midday.
“I’m sorry but I’m going to spend the whole time immersed in books so I’ll meet everyone back here at midday.” Rin says. “Don’t get lost, because you can’t port inside here.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” I tell Rin. I am confident that my earth sense can guide me out of here when it is time. “Enjoy yourself.”
“Thanks, and you too.” Rin says with a smile and then rushes off.
“See you later.” Hermes and Asuna both say and head off together.
“See you.” Emma says with a smile and then I am on my own. I have no particular interest so I just wander randomly. The library is huge. Book cases are lined up and stacked on top of each other forming corridors within each room. There must be at least a couple of hundred book cases stacked on top of each other. I can sense the powerful earth magic keeping them stable. The first bookcase I can reach easily and the second I would have to stretch to reach even the second shelf, but after that the only way for me to reach any of the books would be with magic.
“How do you even find anything in here?” I ask to myself but to my surprise I get an answer.
“Everything is ordered according to category and author. The map is over there. Now stop blocking the way, rude girl.” Sor tells me. I quickly get out her way.
“I’m really sorry about earlier.” I tell her.
“And for eavesdropping?” She asks. I hadn’t realised she had recognised me that time.
“Yes, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just didn’t want to interrupt you.” I say and bow deeply to her.
“You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you? You could have just ported.” Sor says with a cynical laugh.
“I could have, but I hate porting so I try not to if I don’t need to.” I explain.
“Hate porting? Why would you hate the only good thing about being a mage?” Sor asks in disbelief.
“It just feels unnatural.” I tell her unable to put it into better words.
“Why do you even care what I think of you?” Sor asks me. Her question makes me blink.
“Why?” I ask confused. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Most people wouldn’t. Unless there is something you think you can get from me. You’re in for a disappointment though, because no matter how much you kiss up to me I’m not going to so much as lift a finger for you.” Sor tells me.
“There’s nothing I want from you!” I protest.
“Good, because that’s exactly what you’re going to get. Now stop wasting my precious time and go play with your friends.” Sor says and casually waves me away.
“I’m not here to play!” I tell her starting to get annoyed now that my guilt is relieved.
“Fine, but play somewhere else.” Sor says. I take a step towards her but Emi steps between us.
“It would be best to back off.” Emi says and her tone is cold as ice.
“Fine, but if you stop acting like that, maybe other people would like you better.” I tell them both and walk away.
“Why would I want people to like me?” Sor asks angrily. I stop in shock, but after a moment carrying on walking.
“Life is easier and more interesting if people like you.” I tell Sor loudly before breaking into a run.
“Don’t run in here!” A scary looking woman shouts at me from above and I reduce my pace to a fast walk.
“Sorry!” I tell her but I don’t wait for her reaction. Normally I would stop to bow to her but that would mean staying in front of Sor for even longer. After walking for a few minutes and having taken at least a few turns to get here I stop to look around me. I have no idea where I am but I’ll just use my earth sense to get back later.
I look at a random book and gasp. No way! In a library this size I just happened across this book. The History of Ishki - Abridged. Out of curiosity I take it off the shelf and open it. This copy is in modern Contractian. I read the first few lines and find myself unable to stop.
Before I realise it the busy section I am in has emptied. I am the only one here. I check the city time keeper with my dimensional senses and realise that it is almost midday. I wish you could check the time without the need for
dimensional magic. Perhaps I should ask Rin whether her mother could make something simpler that I could use. It would surely be useful for commoners to know the time too, so perhaps it would catch on with her customers.
I put the book back wishing I had time to finish it. There is nothing remotely useful in it but it is the most addictive read I have ever experienced. Even though I am short of time I stand there with one hand on the book. It takes a lot of will power to finally let go. Then I open my earth senses to work out where the exit is. That’s when I begin to panic. Many of the books here are magical and all the cases are. That means there is an awful lot of magic permeating the whole area. In other words my earth senses are useless in here.
I try to think which way I came in but thanks to the book I can’t even remember the general direction. Thanks to the argument with Sor I also paid no attention on my way here so I am truly lost with no hope of finding the exit. Then I remember Sor told me about the maps. I look around desperately and see one. I breathe a sigh of relief and take a look at it.
The words are blurred from age but I think I can see where the exit is. It has a big ‘YOU ARE HERE’ with an arrow so there is no problem working out where I am on it. Okay, so that way, then that way, then that way. Easy. Let’s go.
I walk for a while and then check a map as I am passing it. To my horror I am even further than I was when I started. I need to turn around and go back that way. I sigh. It is midday now so I am definitely late and Professor Schwarz is not going to be happy.
“Hey, rude girl.” Sor’s voice comes from behind me.
“Sor, we’re going to be late!” Turning I tell her urgently.
“You already are, so I figured I’d pick you up instead of having to wait even longer for lunch.” Sor says.
“Pick me up?” I ask confused.
“Porting.” Sor says.
“But you can’t port in here.” I tell her.
“I can. That’s how I got here.” Sor says with a shrug.
“Thank you!” I tell her bowing deeply.
“Stop acting so bloody polite, rude girl, or I’ll have to vomit.” She says looking at me disdainfully but for a moment I thought I saw the hint of a blush.
“I’m sorry.” I say but not bowing this time. Sor then ports us just out of sight of the exit, but I recognise where we are now. She didn’t even need to touch me.
“I didn’t just port us. Porting is impossible here.” Sor says and then walks towards the exit. As she does so a woman brushes past her and though she was only barely touched, Sor falls to the floor. “Watch where you’re going, idiot!”
“I barely touched you. Talk to me like that and I’ll call the city guard.” The woman says and turns to carry on walking.
“That book is from the ancient section.” Sor shouts after her. I don’t understand why but everyone in earshot turns to look first at Sor and then at the woman.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” The woman says with a haughty laugh.
“Even so, I’ll need to check.” The same scary woman who scolded me earlier says to the woman.
“You can’t seriously believe that brat.” The haughty woman says with a nervous laugh.
“The book, now.” The scary woman tells her firmly and much scarier now.
“Here.” The haughty woman says but she sounds resigned now.
“This is a first edition of Death’s Shadow. It is indeed from the ancient section. Come with me.” The scary woman says and as she does so the book disappears as if ported.
I turn and Sor is standing again now, but she seems short of breath.
Chapter 5 (Multiple)
(Emma)
To think that I am actually in the Ancient Library… I had considered coming here on my day off but decided against it. It was too risky. Just seeing my aunt is enough. To be here and not do it though… I don’t have the willpower for that. I sigh and then walk straight to my destination. I don’t check the map. There is no need for that. I have never been here but I have seen this place plenty of times before. Mother, aunt, if I don’t survive, I am truly sorry. I didn’t plan to do this, but fate has tempted me.
“Girl, you seem to be lost.” A librarian tells me.
“No, I am heading for the section on nonlinear singularities.” I tell her.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realise you were an immortal. Sorry to bother you.” She says and flies away to help someone else. I figured she would assume I was immortal. Only an immortal or a genius would have an interest in that topic. A genius however would be heading for a very different section. I breathe a sigh of relief and walk on. I couldn’t tell her the section I am really headed for.
(Yu Kii)
“Yu Kii and Sor, you are both late! We are very hungry thanks to the pair of you.” Professor Schwarz scolds us.
It really isn’t that late to be eating and after the breakfast everyone had I doubt anyone is truly hungry. In fact I doubt many of my class even know what very hungry means. Being late for a meal or even skipping one doesn’t make you very hungry. Going without food for days does. I was lucky to have a kind brother, but even he had to be strict at times. Other miko were very hungry all the time. I was generally just hungry. I do miss Ara Kii. As for my family, I missed them when I first became a miko, but now I doubt I would even recognise them.
“Where were you?” Rin asks me as we leave the library.
“Sorry, I got lost.” I answer.
“So did you use the maps to get unlost?” Rin asks.
“I tried to but they didn’t make sense.” I tell Rin.
“So how did you get out?” Rin asks confused.
“Sor helped me.” I tell her and Rin blinks a few times.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t imagine her helping anyone other than Emi.” Rin says with a laugh. “So that’s why you both arrived at the same time. I was sure it was coincidence, but to think that you happened to bump into her like that, and that she actually helped you.”
“She came to find me.” I admit. Rin looks at me like I’m crazy.
“This is Sor we are talking about, right?” Rin asks.
“Yes.” I say with a nod. We walk for a while before everyone stops.
“This is where we will be eating. This is the one meal that the academy will be paying for.” Professor Schwarz tells us. We look up at the building she is steering us towards.
“Wow.” Rin says in awe. It is a small building, at least compared to the Ancient Library, but the walls are made from golden bricks. It is surrounded by a small moat with nasty looking monsters swimming around. Some look like purple fish with razor sharp white teeth. Others look a bit like goblins, but they are a silver colour and with my earth sense I can tell they are metal golems. They must be using water magic to swim, because they are far too heavy to do so without magic. There is a drawbridge made of silver, which is slowly lowering as we approach.
“Be warned though, if you try to steal anything from here you will be enslaved for the rest of your life.” Professor Schwarz tells us gravely.
“There’s an enchantment that detects thieves.” Rin tells me. “You’d have to be a fool to steal from here, or even to enter with stolen property.”
“So what’s it like on the inside?” I ask.
“How should I know? I don’t even know the name of the place.” Rin asks.
“So how did you know about the enchantment?”
“I’m an alchemist, or at least aiming to be one.” Rin says with a shrug. “If I couldn’t detect and understand an enchantment this obvious I would be a lost cause.”
“Hurry up everyone!” Professor Schwarz calls out and we stop talking as we hurry across the drawbridge. The inside walls are made from silver bricks and the corridors are lined with golden statues of female mages. Their eyes are diamonds, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, sapphires and the most precious gem of all, black soul gems.
“Doesn’t that look like Lucy, only without the wings?”
Rin asks me and looking at the statue I notice the resemblance.
“It does look a bit like her.” I agree.
“That statue is based on one of the most infamous mages in Contractia’s history. Her name was Feline Dragonbreath.” Professor Schwarz tells us. “Now hurry up, we’re already late thanks to a certain girl.”
“Sorry!” I apologise. We hurry along.
“Where have I heard that name before?” Rin asks herself.
“Probably in The History Of Contractia or The Fall Of The Serpent. I suppose Silmarion may have mentioned it, but I doubt it would have come up in conversation.” Professor Schwarz says now physically pushing us along. We seem to have fallen behind everyone whilst we were looking at the statue.
We enter the dining hall and hanging from the ceiling are chandeliers formed of the same types of gems that formed the eyes of the statues. Not black soul gems of course. There is no way they could afford enough of those. I was surprised even to see a single pair in the statues. The tables and chairs are made from white marble but the chairs have enchanted soft seats and backs. In front of each seat is a small black marble slab. They have writing carved into, which is filled with gold. It is the menu.
“Where’s Emma?” I ask. Rin looks around and frowns.
“She was with us when we left the library.” Rin says.
“Didn’t Peter leave you the…?” I start to ask but Rin shakes her head.
“There is a barrier preventing communication magic.”
“Did she get lost on the way here?” I ask.
“If it was you, sure, but not Emma. She isn’t the sort of girl to get lost. She even did bounty hunts on her own.”
“So what happened to her?” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I’m really worried about her.” Rin says with a frown.
“Are you ready to order?” A tall waitress with typical Contractian features wearing a silver dress asks us.
“I’m sorry, but our friend is missing.” Rin says shaking her head. “Professor Schwarz!”
“Yes Rin, what is it?” Professor Schwarz says looking up from across the table where she had been reading the menu.