A scholar who reveres wizards and a street rat who despises them both find themselves apprenticed to a mage with a dark storied past and discover he is not what either of them expected. They may end up learning more from each other than they do from...
Tenet paused in his steps. How could Master Archivist have been expecting him? Tenet opened his mouth then shut it, realizing the answer stood next to him. He turned and smiled at Bria. She didn't smile back. He'd never seen her smile, but the warmth in her eyes was as close as she came to smiling. It was good enough for him.
He turned away and looked back at the library. He wasn't sure what part of the library to address. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. How did one show respect to a talking library?
Fixing his gaze straight ahead, he spoke. "Master Archivist, you have me at a disadvantage. I have only just learned about you, but I am told that you possess a great deal of knowledge on many topics. I came to learn the truth."
POSSESS KNOWLEDGE? MY DEAR BOY, I DO NOT POSSESS KNOWLEDGE. I AM KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT A MERE COLLECTOR OF THESE BOOKS THAT YOU SEE. I AM THEM AND THEY ARE ME. EVERYTHING THEY KNOW, I KNOW. I AM THE LAST STOREHOUSE OF SECRETS LONG FORGOTTEN. I AM THE KEY TO KNOWLEDGE LOST TO TIME.
Tenet's curiosity flared, but he remembered what Bria had said about the archivist being cracked in the head. That gross understatement hadn't prepared Tenet for the truth. There was powerful magic at work here. Impressed as he was, Tenet realized he was possibly dealing with an entity that was as insane as it was powerful. Tenet opted to be cautious, limiting his interactions with Master Archivist in order to minimize the risk of angering him.
Tenet got to the point. "I seek knowledge. After months of training to become a wizard, my master is holding me back. I need to learn how I can become a true wizard, no longer subject to another."
FREEDOM CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH KNOWLEDGE. IGNORANCE IS SLAVERY. BRING ME WHAT I NEED, BOY, AND I SHALL LEAD YOU TO THE POWER TO UNSHACKLE YOURSELF FROM YOUR UNWORTHY MASTER.
"The knowledge I seek is from the Book of Llyr." Tenet's voice was shaky. "Do you have a copy? Or another way to access its knowledge?"
THE BOOK OF LLYR HAS NO COPY, BOY. IT IS UNIQUE AND NO COPY OF IT CAN BE MADE. THE BOOK OF LLYR IS MORE THAN A BOOK. IT IS A FRAGMENT OF A DEEPER TRUTH OF THE WORLD WE KNOW. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.
Tenet sighed. "Then you can't help me. Madrigal locked the Book of Llyr away in the Embrance; only he has access to it."
The books on the shelves trembled and several shot off the shelves as Master Archivist responded. DO NOT PRESUME TO TELL ME THE LIMITS OF MY KNOWLEDGE, BOY. THE BOOK IS UNIQUE BUT I CAN LEAD YOU TO IT. IT WILL BE YOURS. ALL I ASK IS A BOOK IN RETURN TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION. BRING ME THE BOOK I DESIRE AND YOU SHALL HAVE THE BOOK THAT YOU DESIRE.
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Quinn felt exhausted after her foray into the Embrance. The journey through Madrigal's memories had revealed much about the wizard that she hadn't known. The question he posed to her in the memory of that fallen tower had similarly revealed much about her.
