The Bookstore With the Little Door

Content warning: Bullying

Ellen ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her hand like a vice on her dwarven friend's wrist as they rushed down the street.

She could hear the jeering shouts of Liliope and her cohort following, they werent that far behind.

Foza was shouting back at them, but Ellen’s grip stopped her from getting herself into trouble.

As the pair turned the next corner, Ellen sent out a prayer that neither of them would get an up close and personal look at the cobblestones when a flash of light caught her eye.

A little shop, with a little door framed by tall twinkling windows, and a little open sign.

Ellen didn’t think, with a sharp twist she hauled the two of them up the stoop and through the door, slamming it closed.

She pressed her ear against the door, listening as Liliope and her friends came to a stop and complained about losing thier fun.

“Oh shut up, they couldn’t have gone far, they’re probably hiding.” she heard Liliope say, “spread out and look around, I’m not done with them.”

Ellen hurried away from the door and ducked behind a shelf with Foza.

“You should have let me wipe that smile of her face,” Foza complained, tugging at her damp uniform.

“She’s the daughter of the deputy headmaster, you’d be expelled faster than you could say fizzle popers.”

As Foza continued to grumble Ellen took the chance to look around and her eyes grew wide.

They had stumbled into a bookshop!

An enchanted bookshop!

It had to be, the door they’d come in was barely bigger than a broom closet’s but as she looked up she couldn’t even see the ceiling, just a collection of open pathways instead of floors. There were towers upon towers of books all around them, illuminated by a chandelier the looked like whirls of water holding glowing bubbles. Where the light couldn’t quite reach, faerie lights twinkled like fireflies.

“Well aren’t you two a sight.”

The girls, having been mesmerized by the bookshop, startled, Ellen knocking her head against a shelf and Foza whirling around with a growl only to overbalance and almost fall over.

The startler held his hands up with a look of worry on his face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He was a fairy, clad in autumn colors with short blond hair, soft brown eyes and a set of swirling blush pink wings that were folded down behind him with concern.

In his arms, he carried a set of towels.

“We’re fine, sorry.” Ellen said hurridly, “sorry about the mess.”

The fearie shook his head and held out the towels, “Murna said there were a pair of girls dripping all over the floor.”

Ellen flushed, hurriedly saying, “Sorry! we’ll clean it up!”

The fearie laughed, “Nonsense, Murna let you in in the first place, she’ll mop up. But, I did bring you these.” As he finished, he held the towels out to them.

“Opened the door?” Asked Foza as she accepted a towel.

“Hmm, yes,” the fearie hummed, “we’re not usually opened on wednesdays.”

“But…” Ellen began as he looked back at the door.

Sure enough, the window she now knew were spelled, were dark and there was no little sign on the little door.

Before she could say anything else another silent but noticable presance joined them.

the fearie perked up, “Zulvess! These young ladies ran into some trouble so Murna let them in."

As Zulvess stepped out from the many shelves and piles of books, Foza stiffened.

Zulvess was a dark elf, from the snow white hair and faintly glowing pale eyes, to the slate purple skin and detailed runic tattoos peeking out above long fingerless gloves. It took a moment for Ellen to realize that he wasn’t wearing black but a dark blue, though his boots were a black so dark she’s never seen the color before.

Ellen felt as the dark elf’s magic brushed over them like a faint breeze.

Pale eyes settled on Foza’s tense shoulders for a long moment before the dark elf bowed.

“Well met, lady of the deep, I am Zulvess of the crystal city. Be at peace and be welcome.”

Ellen’s mouth fell open, though she couldn’t understand all he had said she knew for sure that he had just spoken fluent dwarvish.

There was a moment where Foza stood stunned before she quickly fell into a bow.

“Well met, Zulvess of the crystal city. I am Fozabryn Oakenforge, you may call me Foza.”

Ellen flushed as Zulvess inclined his head to Foza then turned to look at her.

“I’m Ellenwood Keeling, but everyone calls me Ellen. Sorry to barge in.”

Zulvess hummed, looking over the pair once more. Ellen though he was going to simply stare at them forever when she felt a gentle nudge, a warning she realized, as a wave of spreading warmth followed. Less than a blink later, the girls found thier uniforms completly dry.

“Wow, I need to learn that one!” Foza exclaimed, “it would make laundry so much easier.”

Ellen brushed a hand over her now dry clothes, nodding along with Foza before she looked back to Zulvess.

“Thank you. Since we’re dry, we should probably leave.”

Zulvess huffed, making Ellen freeze, before he looked towards the fearie, who had watched the entire interaction with a funny look on his face Ellen couldn’t figure out but it included a smile so it couldn’t be bad.

“Skylark, tea.”

The fearie, now revealed to be Skylark, perked up, “oh, great idea! Some nice tea to warm thier bellies, but you must take them to the room.” Zulvess nodded as Skylark turned his grin on Ellen and Foza, “you girls follow Zulvess and I’ll meet you there!”

With a flutter, Skylark disappeared, leaving the now trio on thier own.

Zulvess stepped past the girls and Ellen marveled that his boots didn’t even whisper as he stepped.

“Come.”

The girls shared a look, Ellen tilting her head towards the door only for Foza to shake her head and begin following Zulvess. Ellen hurried after her.

“How does anyone find anything in here?” Foza mumbled as they stepped around another book tower.

“They ask, I find it.”

“Right, and how long does that take you.”

Zulvess shrugged, “not long. I know where everything is.”

“There is no way you know where every single book is in here!”

Foza exclaimed as they reached a door carved into the semblance of a flowering tree.

Zulvess didn’t answer as he opened the door and a grinning Skylark holding a tray of tea chimed, “yes he can! He’s just amazing like that.”

Neither of the girls noticed the slight darkening of Zulvess’ ears as they were taken in by the room they had just entered.

It was obviously part of a living space with every available surface covered in plants, books, plants on books and various pieces of equipment and knick knacks. A large round window, also spelled, let in a moonlit glow and you could hardly tell the floor was stone by the small patches peaking out from underneath jewel toned rugs. On one side sat a fireplace and around it a collection of nest like chairs in different sizes. Ellen swore she could hear a distant waterfall and Foza was dazzled by the large natural crystal that lit up the room.

“Come, sit.” Skylark called, “have some tea, and you can tell us what happened.”

Still stunned, the girls wandered over to the chairs, watching as they shifted in shape until they both could sit in them comfortably. As they took the tea Ellen felt her hands warm and thier noses fill with the smell of thick honey.

“Alright,” Skylark said after he finished fussing over Zulvess with a small kiss to the cheek, causing Ellen anf Foza to share a wide eyed look of realization, “now, sip your tea, and start when you’re ready.”

Ellen fingered her cup, “I was clumsy-”

“Truth.” Interrupted Zulvess, locking eyes with Ellen.

Ellen looked away.

“It was that rotten apple Liliope.” Growled Foza. “She pushed Ellen in the fountain and splashed me with a spell when I was helping her out.”

Skylark tilted his head, eyes squinting in thought, “why does that name sound familiar…”

Zulvess looked between the girls before putting his tea down ont he table between them.

“there is a spell, that would allow me to see what happened. I merely need your hand.” He held out his hand, “may I?”

“Why?” Ellen snapped, her face flushing.

Zulvess remained silent, hand outstretched, though Ellen managed to meet his eyes square on.

They were soft.

Ellen thrust her hand forward, and found herself back to the fountain.

She had been drawing, practicing her circles when Liliope first approached.

“If it isn’t the little orphan girl, are you drawing spell circles?”

Liliope snatched away her papers, “hah, she is!”

With a cackle, the dryad girl ripped the papers into pieces.

“Don’t know why you even bother, a nobody like you will be lucky to be a potion tester after graduation.” sneered Liliope.

Ellen hugged her bookbag to her chest, but she refused to get into another shouting match with Liliope.

She’d almost been expelled last time.

Liliope looked from Ellen to her friends with a frown that slowly turned into a grin, “hey, I’m bored, who wants to see the orphan girl take a swim?”

Ellen gasped, and Liliope stepped forwards, “but you can’t swim in all those clothes. Here, let me help.” Liliope leaned forward and Ellen took a step back.

“Wait!” Liliope said, jerking back, “I don’t want to beak my new nails. So…” With a flip of her want, vines began wriggling thier way between the cracks in the cobblestone.

Ellen tried to step back but her leg met the edge o the fountain and Liliope’s vines were already pulling at her coat. Ellen let out a shout, dropping her things and trying to pull the vines away as Liliope’s friends cheered her on.

Desperate and in a panic Ellen shouted the first spell she could think of.

It was a fire spell.

She heard Liliope shout in outrage and one moment Ellen was dry and the next she was sopping wet.

She heard Foza arrive and begin shouting something, but as she looked up and saw the look on Liliope’s face and the remains of charred vines she could only think one thing.

Run.

Ellen blinked as she returned to the warm room, safe and dry, Foza’s heavy arm over her shoulders.

Zulvess was leaning back in his chair, the air around him frigid.

She didn’t realize Skylark was missing until he returned.

“I’ve found them.” the fearie said, all signs of his chipper attitude gone.

“Wait.”

Skylark grumbled and pouted with crossed arms.

“Drink your tea.” Said Zulvess and Ellen found herself doing it automatically.

“Liliope, daughter of deputy headmaster Luthais and Belladophi.”

“Yeah,” said Foza, “you got that from the spell?”

“No.”

“Then, how?” Ellen asked, her voice not as strong as it’d been but it didn’t waver.

“You shall see, drink, then it will be delt with.”

“And girls,” Skylark piped up, “you two can come here whenever you need to, alright?”

At that, Ellen realized something, “I’ve never seen this store before…”

Skylark smiled, “when you need it, you’ll find the door and Murna will open it.”

When the girls finished thier tea, Zulvess and Skylark escorted them back to the little door.

Ellen wasn’t sure how long they had been there, but she had no doubt it had been over an hour and yet, as she went to open the door, Zulvess stopped her.

He said nothing as he swung the door open and on the other side was Liliope and her friends, they were slightly scattered, as if they had only begun to split up to look of Ellen and Foza.

Ellen was shocked, they had been in the store for at least an hour, hadn't they?

Before she could ask, Liliope gave a cry of triumph at seeing them.

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as Zulvess and Skylark stepped out into the street.

Her friends and Ellen and Foza watched in confusion as she stared in horror at Zulvess.

“Hello, miss Liliope.” He said with a flat stare.

“You- you’re-”

“Come now, I know my god daughter did not forget my name.”

Liliope choked.

Zulvess took in the confused faces of Liliope’s friends, “I am Zulvess Yilda. And I believe my Grandfather will want to speak to you all, tomorrow.”

Ellen and Foza shared confused looks, they recognized the name Yilda because thier school was named Yilda Academy of Magics, but what was Zulvess talking about.

Skylark leaned close, “his grandfather is Headmaster Qilvuni Yilda.”

The two girls gasped, wiping thier heads towards Liliope who was practically on her knees begging Zulvess to not tell.

Slowly, her friends began to make the connections as they listned to Liliope's pleas.

“You can’t prove we did anything… can he?” One of her friends failed to whisper to another.

Zulvess looked past the sniveling form of his god daughter, “a spell you have not learned yet, allows me to view events as they happened. It is evidence enough.” He cast his gaze over all the now nervous teens then settled a glare onto Liliope, “stop your sniveling and go back to your dorm. I'll be contacting your parents and my Grandfather tomorrow morning.”

Not needing to be told twice, Liliope’s friends quickly abandoned her, scattering like cockroaches.

“Alright girls, I thinks its time you two go back to the dorms too.” Said Skylark, “we’ll handle miss Liliope from here.”

“Right.” They said in unison, before the pair turned and hurried away, though they couldn’t resist glancing back now and then at Liliope's huddled form until they couldn't.

The next day, Liliope wasn’t in class and her friends were avoiding Ellen and Foza like the plague.

Silently the pair agreed to return to the bookstore to find out why.

When they first reached the street after school Ellen thought she had remembered wrong, all the shops were there but they were large and boisterous.

Then, before thier eyes, a little door with a little sign framed by tall windows appeared. There was no hesitation as the girls hurried through the door.

“Hello girls, back for tea?”

The girls jumped at Skylark’s question, not expecting him to be right just there.

This time, Skylark laughed, “sorry girls.”

They shook thier heads, “it’s okay.”

Skylark hummed as the girls stood in the doorway a moment to long, “I don’t think the two of you are here for tea.”

Foza and Ellen shuffled and Skylark laughed again, “follow me.”

Unlike yesterday, this time, they went in the opposite direction through the books, until they came to a door with a large bubbling cauldron carved onto it. 

“Well, Zulvess was given the task of breaking miss Liliope of her bad attitude. That means she will be confined to the bookstore, helping with cataloging, customers and helping grow the collection. Before that though,” Skylark let the door swing open to reveal a large potion lab, “she is Zulvess’ lab assistant.”

Sure enough, on one side stood Zulvess, focused on a roiling cauldron while on the other, stood Liliope. Her usual expensive clothing gone, her perfect hair now lank and pulled into a horrid bun, elbow deep in a mountain of suds.

Her brand new nails no where to be seen.