Legend of the Elements

Something scurried.

Heart racing, Fenna Achterberg turned, looking back from where she’d come, straining to see in the moonlit environment. The spiral staircase behind her led down to a whole world of ancient books and centuries of dust. The bookcases, so tall they had made her dizzy to look up at, were all neatly organized in endless rows, creating a labyrinth of a library. Tall and narrow windows in proportion to the rest of the majestic structure, let in the moonlight, casting a silver glow. The earthy scent of old pages was thick and sent a wave of electricity up her spine. She shook her head, a dismissal of the sound. Likely, all sorts of creatures lurked in the abandoned library. Adjusting the satchel at her side, she took a deep, wary breath, proceeding further into the cryptic maze. She winced. Her footsteps echoed off the white, marble floor, rippling throughout the entire palace it seemed.

The room opened into a circle as the bookcases and shelves receded, letting space for the most magnificent ballroom she had ever laid eyes upon. The ceiling stretched both tall and wide, reaching it’s peak in the form of a circle that matched that of the room. The top was lined with old images and paintings that were barley visible from where she stood. She wondered at who was the artist responsible for the tedious and brilliant task. Unable to resist the urge, Fenna picked up the corners of her skirts, spinning in a full circle, letting her wispy blonde hair flow about as she pictured the people dancing in sync with the euphonious music. But reality rang as the cold draft swept under her legs, bringing with it the unwelcomed reminder of the lifeless surroundings.

Her sigh bounced off the walls of the empty ballroom as she silently scolded herself. This wasn’t the time or place to be getting distracted. She looked around the room longingly one last time, memorizing all the details. Double checking with her memory of the map, she then followed down one of the rows of books, slowly getting closer to her destination. She recalled the sketch of the particular room. Similar to the ballroom, but significantly smaller. A closet tucked away protecting a special secret. A book on a glass pedestal.

A Knowledge of the Unexplored Elements.

She continued down the isle, taking a right turn as she followed the endless plethora of books. Another scurry sounded. She stopped in her tracks. The sound was closer this time. She did a quick scan. Nothing in sight. She focused her attention to the moon’s silver cast, watching intently for a sign of movement among the shadows. Please, she mentally coaxed. The library’s been abandoned for years. Its only a mouse. Despite her optimistic reassurance, she couldn’t help feeling a little shaky and extra cautious as she continued.

Fenna tugged on the sides of her cloak, wrapping it more securely over her slender frame. Her brown, loose cloak complimented the navy dress she wore, contrasting with the form fitting nature of the gown. The dress clung tightly to her waist, but burst in multiply layers of multi textured skirts that flowed freely about her ankles as she walked. All in all, it was a lovely dress, but terribly uncomfortable. She longed to rid herself of the irritating corset that pinched her ribs and forced her to eat small amounts of food.

Coming onto another path divide, she forked left with confidence. Her uncanny ability to recall mental images had astounded many and had proven useful time and time again. Which was partially why she was here in the first place. Fenna shivered. She remembered everywhere she had been. Vividly. But recently, some of the places she pictured and remembered were places she’d never been. Beautiful places. A tall castle placed deep in the woods. A glistening sea. A meadow.

Taking another left, she bit her lip, an attempt to keep her teeth from chattering, but not from the cold she noted. She needed answers. How could she perfectly recall places she’d never been to as if she’d been there a thousand times? Keeping her steps light, she quickened her pace. She was nearly there. Just one more . . . Ah! In a nook between two shelves, normally where the isle would have continued, she noticed it was closed off by another shelf packed tight with books. But the frontage didn’t fool her. She glanced over her shoulder, taking precautions before she approached. She counted the shelves, stopping at the fourth from the bottom. Moving closer, she inspected the books on the shelf. Layers of dust lay atop of the books, clinging to the covers, making the titles’ unreadable. She ran a single finer along the edge of the books nearest to the right. The must rolled and crumbled as she ran her finger down, revealing fancy gold lettering. She repeated this process with several books, unsettling the dust and revealing the titles of the ancient books, looking for a particular one. She smiled.

Elemental Procedures and Precautions: a guide.

There it was. She slid the thick, red book out from the shelf, leafing through the pages. She coughed, fanning away the dust with her hand and to her surprise, the pages were blank. She shrugged it off, no need. If she was correct, what she needed lay behind the book. She removed two more books peeking inside the space she’d created but it was too dark, the faint glow of the moon didn’t provide enough light. She pushed her hand through the gap from where the books had been, pressing until she felt the back of the shelf. Her fingers ran along the wooden back, until they felt something cold. Her breath caught. Metal. She explored with her fingers until she had hold of the entire lever.

She released the breath she’d been holding, as her stomach twisted. A mixture between excitement and nerves she decided. She tugged at the lever with all the strength she could muster in the awkward position. A loud clunk sounded, followed by the shelf moving slightly agar. With a wave of relief, she pushed the door open, proceeding to the room inside.

And as she entered, Fenna couldn’t stop her jaw from slacking. Moonlight flowed in generously, the reflection glimmering in the glass of the pedestal in the center of the room, making all the floating particles visibly dance. A trickle of silver water dripped from one of the windows into a small puddle on the floor, providing the slightest sound of a drip. On the pedestal, lay a red pillow, which somehow, contained no dust. Neither did the book, she noted. The book! Picking up her skirts, she raced to the pedestal, peering at the book it displayed.

The golden lettering was etched in a dark green cover. A Knowledge of the Unexplored Elements. The cover was completely blank save a small symbol of a feather quill pen in the corner. She ran her fingers over the symbol before peeling back the cover. Suddenly without warning, another scurry sounded. Fenna looked over her shoulder. Her heart stopped. A small, cloaked figure stood behind her silently. Instantly, she recognized the figure from old lore. Her blood ran cold.

The Keeper of Knowledge.