Book of Faith

Chapter 6: The Athenaeum, Refectory, and Armory

Brody awoke the following morning with a head-splitting migraine. It was still dark outside, the sun barely below the horizon and tinting the lower sky a salmon color and the upper a deep plum.

He also noted that only he and Seth were in the dormitory, a telltale sign that the inhabitants of the Sanctum were roused from slumber and already started their day. Knowing that sleep was far behind him and not wanting to disturb Seth, he got up and decided to peruse around.

He hadn't really noticed until then how truly large the Sanctum was. Each hall he passed through was ornately decorated with some form of fanciful art depicting figures that resembled men as well as others that looked otherworldly. He quickly lost count of how many angels he had seen.

The courtyard he had passed through the night prior with Sage Galadhrim was a beautiful sight in the steadily growing light of the morning. It had a small pond off to the side surrounded by bushes and flowers of a bright blue color. A gorgeous old wisteria tree had been planted in the middle of the courtyard, its splendorous lilac petals drifting carelessly in the breeze. A few people dressed in white robes were milling about through the courtyard, though none had taken any interest in his presence there.

The atrium of the Sanctum that they had arrived through the portal in had various stone carvings of angels, each labeled with the name of its heavenly portrayal. The most interesting to Brody by far was a statue of a more feminine-looking angel with an expression of such grief on her face it made his heart catch in his throat.

At some point he began to start feeling hungry. He remembered passing through the cafeteria with Sage Galadhrim after she had taken him to the Archmagian's office, but he would be hard-pressed with attempting to remember exactly how to get there. He managed to backtrack to the dormitories and from there tried to retrace the way she had taken him. At first, he thought he was headed in the right direction as he passed the shack Sarah had come out of to take him to the sleeping quarters, but when he found himself standing outside a room full of books marked "ATHENAEUM" he knew he was lost.

He saw a few people inside dressed in white silken robes and decided it was best to ask for help. He stepped inside and immediately gawked at how large the room was. Its ceiling reached higher than any ladder you could find in a home improvement store, and its depth was so vast that he couldn't see the back.

After his momentary shock subsided, he looked around. All the people of this section of the Sanctum appeared to be women, and most were middle-aged or older. He did, however, manage to spot one girl who looked about his age standing not too far off. She was of average height with long, straight hair that reached almost as far down as her backside. She was nose deep in a book she had apparently taken off the shelf. Brody wondered what kind of books could be in a magical Sanctum like this.

Just then, one of the older women brushed by him with a stack of books and parchment rolls in her arms.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said politely, causing her to stop. She turned to face him and broke out into a grin.

"Oh?" she said inquisitively. "Haven't seen you here before. You must be that Augur boy I've heard so much about from Sage Galadhrim."

Brody was only slightly taken aback by the woman's frankness. "Yes," he replied. "I'm sorry to bother you. I'm lost. I was trying to get to the cafeteria."

"Cafeteria?" the woman said blankly. "Oh, dear! The Refectory! Please, excuse me. It's been a long time since I've heard any Genian jargon. I spend too much time inside these walls for my own good. But I suppose analyzing ancient knowledge takes its priorities to the inquiring mind."

"I'm sorry?" Brody said, utterly perplexed.

"Oh, no worries, dear," she said dismissively. "I'll have someone take you there. You must be terribly keen on eating. You look quite slender for someone of your age. I wouldn't worry, though. Our kitchens make the finest meals anywhere, even from Shinar in my own opinion."