The Library

Chapter 3: Mortador and the quest

I think it was at this moment that I realized that I wasn't in my world anymore. Right in front of us, a monstrous creature was entering the library. It was big, as big as a sperm whale, you know? Mobby dick but in blue with some grey tints. It was scary, kind of a mix between a lion, a dragon and a school bus. Really weird mix.
   "Don't say a word he'll hear you you are human." Doryarus whispered to me. I just nodded, too scared to do anything actually. The big thing was walking around. At this moment Doryarus stood up.
   "I shouldn't let her... MORTADOR!" He scram into the whole library.
The big thing turned around to look at Doryarus.
   "How are you friend?" Doryarus said playfully. "You don't come often to see my poor self in this bloody but quite fancy library."
The big thing didn't answer, it just let a smile appear on its face while bowing down its head.
   "Not talkative today lad?" Doryarus said.
   "Where is it?" The big thing who's name might be Mortador said. I could finally hear his voice. A low and raspy voice, very loud even if not intended to.
   "Where's what? My beloved friend Mortador?" Doryarus got closer to Mortador.
   "There's something here I need to check." At this moment I felt like I was the "thing" that he was looking for. I could feel goosebumps everywhere. Now my principal issue was to shut the bloody hell up and not even move an inch.
   "But Mortador, my good fella, if there were a thing in here you'll be the first to know about it." Doryarus was making big moves, he was like the main character of a show.
    "For sure sir Doryarus , I trust you lots. But I think there's something in here."
    "Do you want me to recommend you a book? Which one do you want fella?"
    "You know that I can't read anymore right?"
   "You just avoid it. You should try again."
   "No. I won't. And I will never."
   "Then do not disturb my reading session, I need calm to read and your "searching-of-whatever"makes so much noise."
   "Well, I might come again. I hope that thing will disappear in my next visit."
    "Of course buddy" Doryarus said with a confident smile on his face.

After a few minutes Mortador was gone. Doryarus made a sign to tell me to come closer to him.
   "What is that thing that your beloved buddy is searching for?" I asked, still scared about what happened a few minutes ago.
   "Well it can be two things: a weird book, or a human being." He answered calmly, like it was a normal thing to search for humans over here.
   "So it might be me?"
   "Yes indeed it might be you."
   "But if humans aren't allowed... why did you let me enter in the first place?"
   "I- I thought that you might be helping me since you're the only human in a while who came here by yourself without knowing. If a door got opened by you, that means you're kinda special ma'am."
I questioned myself at the moment. I entered a total new world without even seeing this as abnormal. I followed a... man? I don't even know, to a library with all the books in the universe... I don't even believe what I'm thinking about right now.
   "May I ask what help do you need?" I looked at Doryarus's face.
   "Well you see that Mortador? He said earlier that he can't read anymore."
   "Yeah, heard it."
   "Well it's partially my fault." He looked desperate, as if he did something so awful that nobody was supposed to know.
   "What happened then?"
   "At first everyone was coming from everywhere to read the books in the library. But one day Mortador's wife came here to, you know, find a book to read."
   "As she should but, what is the bad thing now?"
   "Well she wasn't the type to know a lot of things."
   "That's rude."
   "It ain't. That's the truth. And so, she started to come more often learning knew things."
   "I don't see any wrongs in your story my dear."
   "I haven't seen anything wrong either, but Mortador start to feel unsafe with her wife discovering new things. With the war going on and he was scared she would get interested in the human world too much."
   "Oh so he is this type of person..."
   "If we are thinking of the same thing, yes. So he made a rumor about me and my library, that it makes people kill themselves and that it started the war, and that no one should be reading because it's bad and we shouldn't interact with humans anymore."
   "What an horrible character."
   "He locked up his wife somewhere in Eaglarath and made up that she ended her life because of books."
   "Ok that's a really bad story but... why are you still friends with him and what does it has to do with me."
   "First of all, we ain't no buddy, I just protect myself. He knows he can't kill me so he provoke me to make me leave Eaglarath. Second of all, you, and your love for books could help me actually make this enormous monster read something that he will like and potentially prove to everyone that reading is good and important. But we have to find his wife first."
   "And what if I say no?"
   "Well, no one will be protecting you in here, but I'm not that bad actually. The real issue is that if we don't convince Mortador, he might burn down the whole library. This could create the most horrible and dangerous second war you've ever seen. But he doesn't see no importance in reading." I had questions about this supposed war but I was waiting for another time to hear about it.
   "Okay I see. So you want me to help you find his wife and then use her to make him love books... but has he ever read a book before?"
   "When we were young, I was the one telling him stories and he started reading books. I think books were a big part of his life before he became scared of it for whatever reason."
   "Maybe her wife knows more about this story then us."
   "For sure... so that means you're going to help?" Doryarus started smiling briefly.
   "Well I will try, it's not that I have something to lose isn't it?"
   "You could die."
   "What?"
   "Let's go! We have a lot of things to take before starting the trip."
  "I- ... oh..."
Doryarus looked at me confused.
"What? are you scared to die? Don't worry I won't let this happen." He said holding my hand.
"Let's go!"
We were now heading to a room in the library. I don't know what he wants to take but I think the road will be very difficult.
  "Do you remember I have to explain to you more about those flying creatures that look like dinosaurs..."