Chapter 2 - Roan

Chapter 2 Roan

“So, when you asked me to take these books home”—I paused, glancing at the overgrown mountain path we were about to climb—”you didn’t mention the part about portaling to another city, stopping to pick up construction supplies, or climbing a mountain.”

“I didn’t?” Nyssa gave me a wide-eyed innocent look. “I could have sworn I mentioned something about an adventure. You are an adventurer, right?”

“Well, yeah, but this path doesn’t really look safe. Are you sure this is the right way?”

Loose rocks and fallen branches littered the ground and water had eroded the unstable path further, cutting deep ruts in the earth. This was what happened to man-made paths when they were abandoned: nature took them back by force.

“It’s definitely the right way,” she said, covering up a laugh with her hand. “But you don’t really have to come if you don’t want to. I’ve been up this mountain many times. I’ll be fine on my own.”

The longer I stayed in town, the more likely somebody from the Mistfall Adventurers’ Guild would see me here, but that was a risk I was willing to take to get to know Nyssa better. Besides, it had been almost ten years. I doubted anyone would even remember me.

“I’ve got time,” I said with a smile. “That’s a perk of the job. I get to travel the world, taking missions when I want to and relaxing when I don’t. Besides, what kind of adventurer would I be if I left a librarian to haul all these books up a mountain by herself?”

“You’re lucky, I’ve always got way too long of a to-do list.” She laughed as she activated the magic on the cart to get it moving again.

“Remind me again, where are we taking these books?” I asked, glancing at a moss-covered stone sign. Nyssa brushed it off, revealing an arrow leading up and a name. “The Misty Mountain Library?”

I probably should have recognized the name from the years I’d spent at the local guild, but I hadn’t really been into books at the time. I’d only started reading for fun after I left.

“Yup, I’m reopening the Misty Mountain Library.” A smile lit up her face. “I don’t care what anyone else says, it’s a magical place. The best library you’ll ever see. Or it will be once I’m done with it.”

If it was as rundown as this path, then she’d have her work cut out for her. But I wasn’t about to say that, not when she was bounding up the mountain full of excitement.

“Why do you love it so much?” I asked.

“It’s a library. Why wouldn’t I love it?” Her eyes softened as she glanced back at the cart full of books. “I used to spend a lot of time there as a child. It was the only place I really fit in and it’s why I fell in love with reading. In a world full of magic, there’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book. Working there and sharing that experience with others has been my dream for years.” She nudged my arm, grinning. “And you’re helping me revitalize that dream.”

Sunlight glowed against her auburn hair, warm and beautiful. Listening to her talk about something she loved was oddly soothing, like I was getting to share in her big moment.

“I like books too,” I said, “but I’ve never read one that made me feel like I was getting lost in it. Maybe you can recommend a few after you reopen.”

“Really?” She did a little happy dance, but almost tripped on a tree root jutting up from the path.

I reached for her elbow to steady her, feeling myself drawn to her excitement like a moth to a flame. I wanted something to be this passionate about too. Sure, I liked adventuring, but it had become kind of boring lately. Same old missions, same old places. I wanted something exciting and new that was worth spending years dreaming about.

“That was close, thanks.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “How am I ever going to repay you?”

Her voice was low and her eyes glinted with mischief, making me momentarily forget how to speak. Who was this woman and how had I gotten lucky enough to walk her home? My heart thudded in my chest so loud she could probably hear it. Wait. No. That was something else.

I pulled back, drawing my sword as I studied our surroundings. The thump thump noise drew closer, almost like the sound of a shovel breaking open the earth.

“What’s wrong?” Nyssa asked, gaze searching the tree line on the opposite side. “What’s that noise?”

“Not sure, but I’ll handle it. You’re safe with me.”

She nodded, standing firm even as the noises surrounded us. Shapes moved between the trees, oddly formed like no creature I’d ever seen. I squinted. They looked like they had square heads and only one leg? No. They were made of wood, some kind of box attached to a stake.

Nyssa let out a breath, laughing quietly. “They’re just the library’s little lending boxes. They’re placed along the path in case people can’t make it all the way to the library.”

I didn’t loosen my grip on my sword as the little lending boxes hopped closer. Their paint was chipped and faded, doors either missing or hanging off their hinges, and there wasn’t a single book inside any of them.

“Do they usually move on their own?” I asked calmly, trying not to judge this wonderful library of hers.

“Well, no, not that I remember, but imagine how useful that’ll be when I need to restock them every few days.” She held out her hand to one of the boxes. “Come here little library, we’re not going to hurt you.”

It hopped up and down frantically, flinging its door open and shut, making a horrible squeaking noise that anything else on this mountain would surely hear.

“Be careful,” I said. “We don’t know what else is out there.”

Nyssa waved her hand at me like I was being ridiculous as the lending libraries crowded around her. I kept close, ready to fend them off if they got violent, but they seemed more curious than dangerous as they leaned toward us, tilting this way and that.

I’d never seen anything like them. The elder gods had shaped our world out of magic through the power of their storytelling, imbuing magic into everything from the air we breathed to the food we ate. It’s what formed the land and made the waters flow. It was beautiful and so full of potential, but when that potential was wasted, the magic spoiled, becoming wild with the need to finish its story. Even the gods couldn’t say what it would do then.

And those cute little broken-down libraries that Nyssa was fawning over reeked of wild magic.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” Nyssa asked the lending libraries, moving closer to the cart full of books. “Do you want more books?”

They hopped up and down like excited puppies. Nyssa smiled, not even a little afraid of them. I shook my head as she searched for just the right book to give each little library. She really seemed to care about them, even though she’d just met them and had no idea what they were. I admired that. Not enough people truly cared about others in this world. Not unless they got something out of it.

Nyssa handed out books like they were treats, giving each library one or two as she walked around the cart to reach them all.

“You know they’re just going to lose those, right?” I asked, pointing at the lack of doors. “They need better doors, something with a latch that won’t fly open when they hop.”

Nyssa raised an eyebrow at me. “Here I thought you didn’t like them. Now you’re offering to help?”

“Wait, when did I offer that?” I shook my head. “I’d need tools and spare parts and stuff.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing we picked up all sorts of stuff in town.” She laughed, patting one of the libraries on its little roof. “They’ll just have to come with us to the library so we can fix them up later. For now, it’s time to head out!”

All the little libraries hopped to attention, creating a single file line behind her as she marched ahead like the pied piper, leading her ragtag team of lending libraries up the mountain. I couldn’t help but grin, hurrying to keep pace with her.

“You’re kind of amazing,” I said.

She glanced sideways at me. “I know.”

Silent laughter shook her shoulders as we walked together, followed by the thumping sounds of the library stakes and the creaking of the wagon wheels. I sheathed my sword, hoping that if anything else was going to attack us, it would have done it by now. We weren’t exactly inconspicuous.

The path ahead grew more twisted and unkempt the closer we got to the library. Broken lights hung from the tree branches, doing nothing to guide our way as dense fog blanketed the ground. The air felt thick, buzzing and snapping around me like it was dripping with magic. Wild magic.

“We’re almost there.” Nyssa’s voice rose with excitement. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. The last time I was here was right before it got hit by a wild magic storm. After that, my parents and I ended up moving, but the librarians swore the place would heal itself.” She sighed, shaking her head. “A few years ago, I realized that not only had the library not healed itself, but the Librarian’s Guild had transferred most of the books to other libraries, basically shutting the place down.”

“That’s awful,” I said, walking a bit closer to her. “I’m glad we’ve got a few books with us then.”

“Yeah, good thing you showed up.” She glanced back at the cart and then me, a smile tugging at her lips. “Maybe—”

She stopped talking as we stepped out into a clearing, her eyes widening.

A ramshackle library rose up from the mist, giant holes in the roof badly patched and windows boarded over like it was completely abandoned. The lending libraries raced ahead as Nyssa stood there, transfixed. The stone exterior was cracked as vines claimed the surface as their own.

I’d hoped the library would be as beautiful and magical as she remembered, but that just wasn’t how the world worked.

“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out to comfort her, but she didn’t look upset. She was practically glowing. “Wait, you still love this place even with it looking like that?”

“Of course I do. I knew it would need some repairs, so this gives me the opportunity to make it even better.” She glanced back at me and shrugged. “What else am I supposed to say? That I give up on my lifelong dream to work here? Not a chance.”

“Your determination is impressive. I respect that.” Maybe I should spend a few days helping her clean up the place. I could help fix the big things at least. “Do you need a volunteer by any chance?”

She grinned. “Well yeah, but aren’t you busy?”

“I’m in between jobs right now.”

I should probably stop by an adventurers’ guild to pick up more missions, but I’d rather wait until I got out of town. No matter what guild I stopped at, the local guild master always seemed to have some big job for me. That’s the last thing I wanted to have happen in Mistfall.

“Excellent, then welcome to the Misty Mountain Library.” Nyssa opened the door with a grin. Noises filtered out like people talking followed by a roar that sounded like it came from the depths of the earth, shaking the windows.

Nyssa slammed the door shut, spinning around and pressing her back against it. “On second thought, I don’t need any volunteers. I’m all good here. You can head back to the guild.”

My body tensed, waiting for whatever made that roar to rush outside. “You really think I’m going to ignore that noise?” I gripped the hilt of my sword tight. “What’s in there?”

“Oh that? It’s nothing. Just an alarm system to scare people off since the library’s supposed to be closed.” Nyssa laughed awkwardly. “It’s really fine. You should get going.”

Her eyes were on the ground and her hand gripped the door handle tight behind her back.

“Are you sure? Handling things like this”—I nodded at the lending libraries—”is part of my job. I don’t mind taking a look inside. And I won’t charge you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I wasn’t hurting for money since the jobs I took usually paid pretty well, but it didn’t feel like that was the issue here.

“It’s really nothing,” she said, meeting my gaze firmly. “This is library business, nothing to do with the adventurers’ guild.”

That was true, but it felt wrong just leaving her here without looking inside. Being an adventurer didn’t give me permission to force my way into places though and she did seem pretty sure of herself. Who was I to doubt her word?

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Why don’t I come back later for those book recommendations then?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” She nodded, sagging against the door in relief.“Thanks again for everything.”

“Anytime.”

I forced myself to walk away against my better judgement. In all my years as an adventurer, nothing had made me more curious than that woman and what she was hiding behind her back. There was more to that library than she was saying and I was going to find out what it was.

“I’ll see you soon,” I promised.