“Libre Alarki-”

He looked over to see her standing tall and politely with her hands behind her back. She was probably the tallest he knew and her glare was not forgiving. It didn’t matter what you did or who did it, her way was the way.

“A word?” Her brow was tense as it seemed of most times. He could never really tell but sometimes she had the same look at him as Truett. 

“Scrol Melark- does that mean I say a word of my choosing?” 

Scrol Melark shook her head with a chuckle. “No… It means I must talk to you somewhere privately- '' Her glance led over to the other Libre at the desk over. “Preferably in my office.”

“Scrol Melark- should I bring anything?” His hands were firm on his book that he had been studying. Maybe a little too much studying with the worn pages and the dark circles under his eyes. 

Her gaze softened towards him in a way of its color rather than a vibe. It was still cold but in a way, it was to only comfort him.“Bring your things to leave.” With a shift of her shoulders, she turned towards the exit. “I’ll see you shortly.”

The other Libre stood up with haste, “But Scrol Melark- What about the project? We’ve yet to finish-”

“Libre Lexi… Libre Alarki is working on that project, do not take credit for it. He needs a break for other things.” She stood at the door as she looked at the two in the dim light and nearly empty observatory. “You both should leave for home.” A soft click, and her shadow left from behind the twelve glass paneled french doors. Those panels were the only natural light he got and it reached all the way to the tip of his shoes.

Alarki looked upon his book. Its grey leather cover was worn down more recently. Maybe while he rested he’d be able to give it a new cover in honor of his ancestors. Would it be too obvious? He already knew too much to seem innocent. That would have to be a request from Scrol Melark. 

“Larki?”

Alarki jumped in his seat with a sort of slowness before realizing it was just Lexi. “Yes?”

Lexi folded her hands in front of her with a little tilt to her head, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders. “May I ask something?”

“Yes…” He held onto the book like a hug, resting it on his chest. 

“Are you sure you don’t want help with the project? It must be difficult to carry it alone.”

“I can carry it. It is not that heavy.” 

Lexi burst out laughing, almost scaring Alarki out of his seat. “Not the book, you silly! I meant the translating… can’t you teach it to me so I can help?”

“Oh…” His muscles were still tense but he sunk. If only he could. “I not know. Scrol Melark gave me permission. Have you permission?”

“I don’t see why I would need it. I’m a Libre! I can study what I wish!”

The smile on her face deepened his heart further in his chest. He shook his head. “Not here.” He put the book in his satchel and pulled it over his shoulder. He gathered more of his papers and stored them away as Lexi looked at him perplexed. 

“Not here? Here is the only place we can study!”

Alarki wrapped his cloak around his shoulders. It was so light yet so heavy. His posture drooped as he thought about it. Three weeks of brutal work was what it took Truett to gift it to him. To see the smile on his face… sometimes he wondered why Truett tried so hard for him. He faced Lexi and forced a polite smile, “Not this book.” He pushed in his chair and gave a polite bow of his head, “I take my leave.”

Lexi stepped aside so he could leave. “Good-bye!” She waved her hand with a polite sway and a smile.

He returned the gesture of the phrase and waved before leaving. With the doors closed behind him, he felt better than before. Despite how nice she was, he was scared she wouldn’t be so generous if she found out why and how he could translate this text. As Truett sometimes says, ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get there… together.’ 

He crossed the room to identical french doors as the Libre Studying room, except this one had her name engraved in gold. With a soft knock he waited, hoping she would open the doors soon. Of course, like always, she was there to open the doors for him. Once both were safe inside, she spread her hand across to the chair in front of her desk. “Take a seat.”

He sat down just as she asked and waited till she was seated. Her eyes glared into his eyes with her arms crossed on the table. He didn’t know this expression well, despite working with her for many years, but it was one he still feared regardless. 

“I know… that we are in quite a tense situation here…” She tapped her finger in thought for a moment. “There have been a lot of Riots recently nearby. I know we have kept you here to keep you safe for the past few weeks. Recent news shows I can’t guarantee that you will be any safer here. I know you haven’t heard much because of your studying. From what I’ve gathered, Rioters have been burning and hurting just about anyone… and burning places with sacred information of your kind.”

Alarki’s eyes drooped at the news, the cape feeling heavier on his shoulders.

“Now this establishment and yourself could be safe. But you also could not be at the same time…” Scrol Melark sat up in her seat a little taller. “I will leave that up to you. You can stay here… or I give you permission to leave to sea for a short time before things get too rough.”

His brows furrowed as he thought. “I may go home?”
“Yes… only if you wish…” Scrol Melark was patient as she looked upon him.

He fit the hem of his pants between his nails as he contemplated the situation. He wasn’t really safe either way now. The Library of Ol’ Praeterita was the most secure of all the land. Maybe the entire world! It would take a lot to burn it all and it wasn’t even flammable from the outside. However, he felt so lonely here. This was not home to him no matter how safe it was for him.

“Libre Alarki,” she leaned forward across her desk. “I have an itching suspicion you have several barring questions for me.”

Alarki’s eyes flinched from his lap to her. “I… Is it possible to keep Truett here?”

“That would be too out of the ordinary. Not only is he a peasant compared to us but a sailor. Sailors can’t read. It would make you less safe than you already are.” Her hand moved across the desk to reassure him but not to touch him. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. I think what you need is honesty, however, and not tainted fairy tales.”

Alarki nodded with slumped shoulders. “I understand. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Scrol Melark sat up straight once more. “Not that I want to hurry you, but I would make your decision fairly quick. Per our situation, that is.”

Alarki nodded. Staying wouldn’t be good. They all knew how Riots went. Everything burned to the ground. People died. Innocent people at that. The libraries especially. The Library of Ol’Praeterita would be in question. It was the biggest library in all the world and the safest too. It had things from ancient times ago. Even of his culture’s time. Which is what made it dangerous. No one would dare try to harm the Library of Ol’Praeterita. Not even the worst of people, but the weighing factor was his kind. 

He knew he didn’t want to die here. Not away from Truett. Truett wouldn’t know for weeks… possibly months if he died in a Riot. Especially at the Library of Ol’Praeterita. Regardless of it’s many records of who entered and left, Scrol Melark forbid that Alarki be put in record. She said it was for his safety that he be a ‘ghost’. 

“I want to go home.”

Scrol Melark gave a nod in one slow bow. “Then let it be.” She stood up and grabbed her shoulder cloak. Clanging metal filled the air as it swooped onto her shoulder. It always grabbed his attention when she did so. It was only the shoulder plate and its many dangling ornaments. “Let me bring you home. We’ll take the safe route.”

Alarki got up from his chair and followed Scrol Melark out of her office. In a way, her height and status hid him as they walked through the library. The observatory was just about his favorite place too. If he wasn’t so tired, he would have run up the stairs. Scrol Melark was first to enter the room before Alarki when an old man spotted them. A smile lit up on Alarki’s face before he ran to him. 

The old man saw him and beamed a bright grin, “Oh my child!” His arms wrapped Alarki in one big hug as Alarki buried the side of his face in his beard. The old man patted his back. “My sweet child.”

Scrol Melark crossed her arms with a hint of a smile but still glared. She cleared her throat before politely looking upon the two with a non-demeaning look, “Astri Columni?”

The old man pulled away from Alarki to look up at Scrol Melark from his chair, “Yes, Scrol Melark?”

“Have you any news?”

With the slight flick of her eyes towards the glass dome, all three knew exactly what she meant. Columni swirled his chair around to his telescope so he could see the layout of the city a little better. “Uhhhh… well it’s been very quiet. I wouldn’t say that’s bad but I also wouldn’t say it’s good. If you are looking for trouble, it’s possible you are in the eye of a storm, Scrol Melark.”

“From your observation, North Bound is the safest route then?”

Columni swirled back around with a hesitant nod, “I would say so. It would be best not to be on the streets if you take Alarki home.”

“Then North Bound we will go.” Scrol Melark looked over to Alarki. “Are you ready?”

Alarki looked over at Columni with a sort of longing. Columni was the only person at the library that made him feel at home. Not only did he know, but he respected him to the fullest and even learned more about his culture to teach him what his ancestors couldn’t. Columni nodded to him to go on with a soft smile.
Alarki looked back up at Scrol Melark and nodded once. “Yes, Scrol Melark.”

Scrol Melark returned with a bow of her head. “Say your goodbyes.”

Alarki fell back into Columni’s arms with a sort of mourning. Columni patted his back as he let him melt. “It will be alright, sweet child.”

Alarki sighed heavily as he held onto him for a little longer. Being who he was, he knew that anytime he saw someone, it could be his last. He softly smiled through his mourning and pulled away to look him in the eye. “Thank you, Papa Columni.”

“Thank you.” Columni smiled at him with warmth. “You are innocent. I know we will meet again.”

Alarki nodded with a little smile. He would miss Columni a great deal if this was truly the last time. 

Columni took his pendant from around his neck and put it around Alarki’s. “From my culture to yours… it will keep you safe.”

Alarki placed the pendant in his palm to see it. It was a beautiful stone with a holographic scene. To him, it reminded him of a galaxy with the floating particles inside of the white opal. “Thank you, Papa Columni.”

“It is my greatest pleasure.” With his hands on Alarki’s shoulder he smiled. “Now go. Home awaits you.”

Alarki bowed his head and turned to Scrol Melark. Her glare rested upon the two before she bowed as well. “We will see you again in due time. Now, to North Bound.”

“Yes!” Columni stood from his chair and put his shoulder into the book case. Once it was moved, a tunnel straight down was revealed. “May my luck be your wish.”

“Thank you.” Scrol Melark fit her soles on the slim ledge inside the tube before bowing a head to both of them. “Good day, Astri Columni.” She looked over to Alarki. “I will see you at the bottom.” With a swift sweep of her feet, she was gone below. 

Alarki peered down the hole to see the black space that had engulfed her. He shakily sighed to relieve the stress in his chest. If it was one tunnel he hated, it was this one. There were just too many memories of darkness inside him to make this tunnel feel comfortable to him. 

Columni rested a hand on his back with a reassuring smile, “It will be alright, sweet child. Just put your shoes on the ledges.”

Alarki used Columni’s help to steady himself on the worn golden ledges. He looked down at the dark and whimpered slightly. His knees shook barely, but enough to have Columni keep his hold on him. 

“It will be okay.” Columni tilted his chin to look at him. “Don’t look at the dark. Look at the light. It will take you a lot farther.”

“Then why do I go to the dark?”

“Because the light you seek is through the dark.” Columni patted his shoulder before taking Alarki’s hand and folding Alarki’s fingers around his gifted pendant. “Remember. You are safe.” Columni rested a gentle hand over Alarki’s eyes to remind him not to look. Once he pulled away, Alarki stood there alone in the tunnel with his eyes closed and slow breathing. The Light you seek is through the dark. He took in a deep breath and swept his feet to the darkness below.