The Way We Fall

Chapter 39 (Roche)

One moment she'd been walking behind Tigris. The next, she was flat on her back in a large, empty cavernous space.

"Ala,"

That voice. It sounded like her inkblood. Roche sat up, a jolt of pain running through her muscles. She groaned, bracing herself against the sconce covered walls. The room was completely empty. There wasn't a door in sight.

The walls felt like they were closing in on her.

"Hello?" she whispered, panic crawling up her throat. No one replied. Not even her inkblood. Sweat began to pool on her forehead. She was still drained from the fight with Ismere outside, she didn't have much energy left.

"Fyra." she croaked anyway, crying out as the ensuing wave of pain brought her to her knees. The sconces on the walls pulsed a pale blue, shining brighter for just a moment before returning to nothing. Roche flopped onto her back, letting the cool stone ease the aches and pains coursing through her body.

"Do not overexert yourself, Ala. You must rest."

Roche closed her eyes. "If you're going to kill me, can you do it fast?" She had nothing left in her to fight.

The voice laughed melodically. "I am not here to kill you. I am here to help."

Roche blinked, and suddenly there was a pale, ghostly translucent face hovering over her.

Roche screamed, scrambling backwards like a crab. "GHOST!"

"I am not- well, I suppose I am."

Roche shrieked louder.

"Stop that!" the ghost lady shouted, "Please. My name is Finna. I was a librarian. I am here to serve you, Ala."

The name cut through Roche's panic like a knife. She narrowed her eyes at the ghost lady, Finna. "How do you know that name?"

Finna smiled sadly. "Everyone who worked at the Library of Eolna knew of the Ala."

"The Library of Eolna?" Roche repeated, feeling dizzy, "Was that what this place was? A library?"

"Once, yes. Before it burned. Now inkblood comes here to rest. For every bit of it burned, it waits here. You can feel it, can you not?"

She did. She felt inkblood thrumming beneath the surface of the stones, beating in the grounds like a second heart, undulating like a sea. She was too drained to call upon it, but she could feel it soaking up through her feet, restoring her energy.

"Are you... dead?" she whispered. Finna nodded, but didn't seem too sad about it.

"Me and my fellow librarian sisters died in the burning of this library. Romulus thought us to be users of inkblood. We were not, but we remain here to guard this sanctuary." Finna explained. Roche sat up slowly, propping herself against the wall weakly.

"Aren't you supposed to guard this place from evil?" she asked. Finna shook her head.

"We protect these grounds. We protect the inkblood that stirs here." Finna tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Evil or not. Inkblood simply exists. We guard it."

"Well... there's an object infused with inkblood that a group and I must retrieve." Roche looked around, "Where are they, anyways?"

"Safe. Facing a test."

Roche furrowed her brows. "A test?"

"They wish to take an object that was left here for protection." Finna tilted her head, eyes dimming as she watched Roche, "To remove such an object requires a pure heart. It requires the promise that the object will be used with good intentions."