The Demons of Rome

VI - A Philosopher

The library was right at the centre of the administrative district, only a few roads down from the palace and exactly opposite the courthouse, and it was huge, almost as big as the palace itself.

As they waited for the library to open Iatus couldn't help sporadically looking over his shoulder at the courthouse. It was a large, marble building adorned with columns and sculptures, just like every other courthouse in the Roman Empire. Perhaps it was too much like the one in Rome.

Aelith gave an impatient shuffle on his shoulder and a thought occurred to Iatus.

"Aelith, why don't you change into a human? That way you can help me look through the shelves without attracting so much attention."

Aelith sighed, "I can't."

"Why not, you've got enough mana to stretch that far, and enough imagination."

"That's not all that's required. It's not so much a matter of knowing what you want to change into then shifting form. You have to understand, you know, empathise a little. When my father explained it to me, he told me that you have to care for what you're transforming into or it won't let you turn into it."

"Huh, so you empathise with a giant bird man, but not a regular human being?"

"How could I possibly empathise with something so determined to stay on the ground?"

"Weird... I never think of you having a father."

"You thought spirits just grew on ether trees?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Their musings were cut short by an old man with a long, white beard and wearing silver, half-moon spectacles, arriving with a ring of keys.

"Ah, excuse me!" called Iatus, "Are you a librarian?"

"No," snorted the man, "I'm just the janitor, now out of my way."

Iatus exchanged a look of surprise with Aelith and stepped aside.

"I'm a librarian," came a voice from behind them.

They turned to see a young man of perhaps 25 years, wearing a simple black tunic. He was dark of skin and hair, with brown eyes and a pointy nose. The only way you might recognise him as a man of reading was by the stack of books he carried under his arm.

"Can I help you?"

"Ah, well, yes, we... I mean, I am Iatus, I'm a scribe from the palace. I've been sent by to fetch some books. We're looking for anything you might have on the philosopher's stone."

The librarian looked confused, "Now why would the palace want books on that?"

"I don't know. I'm just a junior scribe, I don't get to ask questions," Iatus replied as innocently as he could manage.

"What's with the owl?"

"Oh, him, he's uh... The Governor's pet, I'm taking him out for some air..." Iatus said unconvincingly.

"So you're taking him to a library?"

Iatus nodded as earnestly as he could. The man didn't seem to believe him but thankfully he let it slide and ushered them inside.

The library had no windows, the only lighting provided by candles. However, this made it pleasantly cool inside. The main, front area was dedicated to public records and they had to walk right to the back to get to a staircase leading to the collection of books.

"You should probably start with this," the librarian said, pulling out a small book entitled 'Ancient Alchemy'.

Iatus opened it up and flicked through until he came to an entry entitled 'The Stone of the Philosophers'.