Soul Goblet

by J. A. Culican

  "Should I be expecting anyone else tonight? I’ve half a mind to put a spell on the door so nobody else can come in."

  Gwen, Sel, and I shook our heads.

  I blinked, suddenly making the connection with Ethel’s reaction. “Wait, you two know each other?"

  They exchanged glances.

  "Yeah, of course."

  Will smiled blandly, turning to Jarid, who echoed his statement.

  "Yeah, the soldiers come by the Library fairly often. Sometimes they need information, other times it may or may not be to check out the—"

  Will smacked Jarid across the abdomen, interrupting him.

  "Anyway." Will’s eyes narrowed warningly at him. "Jarid and I are friends." He looked at Jarid again, but this time tilted his head to the side. "But why are you here? The last time you…" His eyes widened. "Oh. Is everything okay at the Library? Are you in trouble?"

  Jarid looked around and Will's mother obviously saw something in his face, because she quickly fixed him a plate and a drink, placing them on the table in front of an empty chair.

  "Sit. Eat. This has been a most enlightening night so far."

  A smile split her face, and I could see where Will got his mischievous good looks.

  "First some travelers with my son, and now his friend who never leaves the Library. What's going on?" Her eyes still conveyed amusement, but her tone had sharpened with interest as she waited for him to answer.

  Jarid sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I wasn't lying, exactly, when I said I'd be safe going back to the Library. But things are a little more complicated. From what I've been able to pick up, you guys need to stay hidden. And you aren’t exactly sneaky walking around Sunglen with three wolves. I think you need to get out of town, and stay out. It's a good start hiding here, which was what I was hoping had happened when I couldn’t find Will. I don't think this is far enough away, though.”

  He sighed, taking a sip of the hot cider and closing his eyes appreciatively.

  "Thank you, as always, for your hospitality, Ethel." He set the cup down and continued. "I think I kept the Librarians off your tail."

  When my head jerked, he gave me a grim look. "Yes, Luban was so angry he’s declared the Library off-limits for you. Not only are you not welcome back to the Library at Sunglen, but I'm certain he’s got the other Librarians looking for you as well. I've never seen him so furious."

  "Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone that mad at me, either. What should we do?" I slumped lower in my chair, feeling defeated. "I still need information. I can't let them stop me just because someone is mad the Library let me into a secret room."

  Will exhaled, and I turned to him, wondering what he’d say next.

  "Jarid and I discussed this already."

  "You have? When? Based on what we heard earlier, Will was following me the entire time you were with Rhin. How could you possibly have communicated without either of us seeing you?" Gwen’s surprise was obvious.

  Jarid bit his lip, but Will waved his hand at the young apprentice. "You may as well show them."

  Jarid sighed, bringing out two small, plainly bound brown notebooks from his satchel. "Will had this with him until yesterday. He gave it back to me in front of the hotel. We thought as long as you stayed in Sunglen we’d be able to keep in touch, but if you’re going where I think you’ll be going, it will be impossible, unless you have this. If you keep this book with you, we can pass information to each other without anyone else knowing." He handed me the bland book.

  I accepted it with delight. "Is it magic?"

  "Yes, of a limited sort. Once you write in this one, I'll get the message in mine. But when we run out of pages, that's it. It doesn't disappear. So, make sure whatever you write is important. We have no idea how long we’ll need it."

  I understood completely, relief making me a little giddy. Even if he couldn’t be with me, I’d still have the benefit of his knowledge.

  "Thank you. I'll be very careful with it. Where is it you think we should go?"

  "I'm not sure, but I think the Library has already given you the answers. I saw you slide a book into your bag, and as I was leaving, this one began to attack me.” Jarid held another small volume up quickly, placing it on the table before I got a good look at it. “I couldn't understand why, but it seemed really important I take it." Jarid gave me an unexpectedly sneaky smile, similar to the one Will had displayed earlier. "I managed to get away without Luban noticing."

  I was about to comment when he continued.

  "Part of the reason you're in so much trouble is because the room won't lock now. Luban stationed guards all around it, but something's up. The Library isn't acting the way it usually does."

  "Interesting. So, a strange elf shows up looking for answers to lock Dag’draath up for good, and in the process, wakes something up in the Library, and now all the Librarians are going crazy?" Will leaned back in his chair, looking amused.

  "Exactly. And I’m pretty sure the answers to where you’re supposed to go next are on the paper I gave you earlier, as well as in this book and the ones you took from the Library."

  All traces of fatigue vanished as another mystery fell into my lap. I barely even noticed Gwen and Sel shoot each other a look.

  Will's mother caught Gwen’s yawn however, and stood up from the table. "How about while Jarid and Rhin take a look at the books, we get the rest of you cleaned up and sorted for the night? Once I have them taken care of, I'll come back for you. I know you’re in the middle of a puzzle, but you’ll still need your rest to solve it.”

  She smiled at me knowingly as I spread the books and paper out in front of me.

  “Thank you, that’s very kind,” I said, touched. I hardly knew her and yet she’d been so accommodating, anticipating exactly what I wanted.

  She continued to be wonderful, as within moments, she’d hustled the others away, leaving Jarid and me in silence to look through the books. One was in Elvish, which he apologized for not being able to read. The paper he'd given me had more symbols on it. Some I recognized already from the places they’d led me around Sunglen, but the idea others I hadn’t seen before would lead to our next location struck me.

  My head snapped up. "Jarid, could this be a map to the different cities?"

  He squinted and looked at the symbols before shaking his head. "I don't know how to read it if it is."

  I turned back to the book. It was obvious this page was important, but we could likely rule out the symbols we’d already used. I looked at the book Jarid had brought, this time noticing a faint watermark in the shape of a cloud, which I’d just seen in the one I’d borrowed. Opening it, I compared the two books. They were both in an ancient form of Elvish, but it was difficult to decipher and seemed jumbled.

  "Wait a minute—what if it isn't a map, so much as a key?" Jarid’s voice was full of excitement.

  I looked up, tilting my head as I considered that possibility.

  "What do you mean, a key?"

  “These two are in Elvish, but you can’t read the other one at all, correct?" When I agreed, he continued. "What if it isn't a language either of us knows, but instead, has been written in code? And the symbols on the page are the key to reading it?"

  A smile spread across my face as an idea presented itself. "I want you to take the page and this book and see what you can figure out. I have an idea about these other two books which may or may not work."

  He accepted the task while I looked at the dark blue and the luminous red books. I placed them beside each other and whenever a sentence didn’t make sense, I read the sentence on the corresponding line in the other book. Immediately, the answer was clear.

  "Of course!" I shouted.

  "Already?" He looked down at his page, his pinched expression making me think he hadn't expected me to figure it out so quickly. To be honest, neither had I. It felt as if my brain was supercharged. Maybe it was another effect of the Library trying to help me find the answers? Was i
t possible it wanted Dag’draath out of the way as well?

  "I think these two books are a set. Duality. I could read them in Elvish individually, but they didn't make sense. When I arranged them together, though…" I smoothed the pages out, showing him how I’d placed them. "The sentence is comprehensible if I finish it on this page, in the other book."

  "That's amazing. I’m not sure I would have figured it out, especially since I can’t read Elvish. What does it say?"

  "It's strange. It seems to be a natural history of the dragons, nothing that would need to be written in code. Nothing I can see here looks secret at all."

  He looked down at the page and the book I’d given to him.

  "Sorry, but I'm not understanding my assignment. So far, the only thing I can figure out is the word for dragon on this page, which is hardly helpful."

  Looking disappointed with himself his words stirred something in my memory. What was it?

  I snapped my fingers. "You're a genius! All of this is leading us to the dragons. Maybe the next place we need to go to is the Dragon Dominion. The ritual Onen Suun performed used nine High Dragons. Maybe we need to find out more about the original spell and the dragons who were part of it."

  Jarid's face paled. "But how are we supposed to get there? It floats."

  I felt in my bones we were on the right path. "I don't know. I’ve never been there."

  He sighed, but before we could make any plans, Will’s mother returned.

  "That's enough for tonight. Pack up your books for now. I’m sure you have a busy day ahead of you, and you’ll need sleep." Her tone was brisk and no-nonsense.

  I longed to do more reading, but she was right. If we hoped to find a way to get to the Dragon Dominion, it would be easier to plan with fresh minds in the morning.

  Chapter 20

  I slept like a rock. Will’s mom was an even better hostess than Marthe had been. We had to bunk together due to space, with Gwen and I sharing the guest room, while Jarid, Sel, and Will shared his old bedroom.

  With the wolves nestled around the bed, I couldn't remember ever feeling cozier. But from the minute my eyes snapped open, I was feverishly thinking about the Dragon Dominion and our trip.

  I snuck out of bed when I found Gwen still asleep, but once in the kitchen I discovered everyone else was awake and eating the hearty breakfast that Ethel had prepared.

  The guys grunted hello and continued eating, so I grabbed a plate and sat down, eating quietly until Gwen joined us. Once my stomach was full, I leaned back and sighed happily.

  "So, does anyone know how to get to the Dragon Dominion?"

  Sel continued to eat, but Will choked on his mug of cider.

  "The Dragon Dominion?" Gwen cocked her head to the side. "Why would we need to go there?"

  Jarid and I exchanged glances before he answered. "We found something in the books last night. Everything seems to point to finding the next clue with the dragons."

  Gwen and Will looked at me blankly. I hadn’t told them anything, but it was time. "The ritual Onen Suun used involved nine of the High Dragons. Everything I've read has led me toward the dragons and the role they played. While I’m confident the next step in our journey lies there, I don’t know how to get there. I mean, it's not exactly next door."

  Gwen agreed. "True. I've never been there, so I can't help. Will?"

  "We could head to Starside—it’s on the outermost rim of the Dominion," he added helpfully.

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “Do you know how to actually get from Starside into the Dominion?"

  I hoped Will had the practical answers I lacked. I fondly remembered the books tucked in my satchel, wishing I had more time to read them.

  “Maybe. Do you have any contacts at the Starside Library?” Will deflected to Jarid, who looked surprised to be on the spot.

  "It's possible. I'm not unwelcome at the Library, but Rhin might be. Luban has already spread word to all the other Librarians, I’m sure." He grimaced at the idea.

  "I'm sorry. I never meant to ruin your life," I offered, feeling my apology was inadequate for the situation.

  "This isn't your fault. In fact, I don't understand why Luban's so angry. He's the one who told me to help you, and we all know the Library only shows the worthy a resource above what’s ordinarily available. In my opinion, I'm serving the Library in the most loyal way I can by helping you. But just knowing your mission is to stop Dag’draath so the wars end for good would have been enough for me, even without the Library's permission."

  "Thank you for your support. I'm not sure I deserve it." I wished I didn't feel so guilty.

  Gwen placed her hand on mine, the familiar warmth causing a small tingle to spread as she looked at me seriously.

  "Rhin, we're all here for the same reason. We believe in you. We may not always agree on how to do things." She shot a pointed look at Will. "But we all know you’re someone special. Stop apologizing. In fact, I'm impressed by how far you've come since we first started this journey."

  It was nice to hear praise, but I didn’t think I deserved it. At least, not until I found the answers I was looking for.

  "All right, if everyone's ready, we should get moving." Will stood abruptly from the table. "Even with the gates, it's going to take us a few hours to get to Starside."

  We cleaned our plates, packed our meager supplies, and quickly departed.

  After another dizzying trip through alleys, streets, and gates, we finally arrived at Starside.

  It was another place I'd only read about, but the reality was so much more than I'd imagined. I'd grown up on the side of the Cliffs, but the altitude here almost made me dizzy. Each time I looked out at the view, my breathing became more labored, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the view or the height.

  I felt close enough to touch the clouds, and almost regretted it was daytime when we’d arrived, because I would have loved to have seen the stars from the white cliffs as they jutted over the ocean below. But the suns showed the true beauty of the city. It was built on the side of the mountains, and most of the houses were square white blocks, like stairs leading toward the majesty in the center, the Library.

  Jarid and Will had stayed in front and when we arrived, where they whispered something among themselves before Jarid looked at me with a pained expression.

  "I have a contact here, Kramson. I'm not sure if he'll help us, but I’ve always found him to be fair, not to mention more even-tempered than Luban. He's the Starside Librarian in charge. I can't guarantee his reaction, but it's the only way I can think of to get to the Dragon Dominion from here."

  "If you trust him, that’s good enough for me. Gwen? Sel? What do you think?"

  Sel nodded once, and after a moment, Gwen reluctantly nodded as well.

  "I'll trust your decision. From what you’ve told us, we need more information from the Library anyway. Whether or not we can get to the Dragon Dominion from there remains to be seen."

  I turned to Jarid, excitement taking over now that we were all in agreement.

  "Let's find Kramson."

  With Jarid in the lead, we climbed to a Library entrance even more awe-inspiring than the golden spires in Sunglen. It was built out of a dark stone that sparkled in the sun, reminding me strangely of the glory of the night sky. I wondered if the architect had intended such a thing with each step I took up the flight of stairs closer to the answers I hoped to find.

  Breathing rapidly, I was relieved to reach the top after several minutes, finding a lobby almost the duplicate of the Library in Sunglen.

  Gwen hesitated at the entryway.

  "I'll wait here. I don't want to start things off on the wrong foot." She pointed to the wolves. "Go on, it's fine. Talk to Kramson, then come back and let me know what you find."

  "I'll stay with you," Will offered, giving a gallant bow.

  Gwen gave him a surprised smile, and Will blinked. A lazy smile crossed his face.

  "Sel, why don't you stay with them too?"


  Sel inclined his head. "Of course."

  "True, it's probably best if it's just the two of us. The less people traipsing through the Library, the happier he’ll be. He's a little territorial when it comes to his books," Jarid chimed in.

  I followed him inside, looking over my shoulder as the rest of the group sat down at the side of the entrance steps to wait. Gwen caught my eye, giving me a thumbs-up before she turned back to respond to something Will had asked her.

  When I turned, Jarid was introducing a short human with a fringe of curly red hair and a plump face with laugh lines beside his mouth and deeply etched grooves between his eyebrows.

  "Rhiniya of the Cliff Elves, this is Kramson, Head Librarian in Starside."

  I turned, greeting him with the most elegant curtsy I'd ever performed.

  "It's lovely to meet you, sir. Jarid has told me of your immense knowledge and I would be so grateful if you would share it with me."

  Kramson answered politely, but his expression was wary. "It's nice to meet you as well, Rhiniya of the Cliff Elves. I’ve heard of you already.”

  “Please, sir, we need to get to the Dragon Dominion. Can we get there from here?” Jarid began pleading before I could speak, but it was no use.

  Kramson pressed his lips together. “I cannot help you get to the Dragon Dominion. I am also quite reluctant to have you in the Library after what occurred in Sunglen."

  I kept my eyes downcast to hide the frustration brewing within. "I understand. Do you mean you will not help at all?"

  Kramson sighed. I looked up, surprised to see his face now appeared drawn and tired. His mouth worked for moment before he finally answered. "I don't agree with what is happening, but this morning I received word this was for you to keep."

  Before I understood what he was doing, Kramson held out a small golden key on a chain.

  "What is this?"

  I accepted it cautiously. It was beautiful, bold yet intricate. Small enough I could easily wear it around my neck and tuck it into my shirt. But I held it in front of me as I stared at him, not wanting to accept it until he told me what it was for.