From the Ashes

Chapter 23 ~ Library and Song

    Tarion hung back a few paces while Morana squared her shoulders and approached the meadow. He could see the nervousness written across her features, but there was excitement as well. She paused when she reached the edge of the trees and glanced back at him.

    "Go ahead," he urged. "It's safe."

    Her eyes narrowed. "Aren't you coming?"

    "Yes. I'm just going to make sure we don't leave any noticeable tracks out here."

    The half-truth seemed to appease Morana and she stepped through the trees, vanishing as the library's enchantment surrounded her. Tarion drew a measured breath and swept his palm out in a wide arc. A soft wind gusted, blowing bent grass upright once more and sweeping dirt across their few visible tracks.

    Once he was satisfied there were no more tracks and certain that Morana wouldn't notice his arrival immediately, Tarion approached the meadow. He steeled himself and closed his eyes as he passed between the trees. Magic crept over his skin with a warm tingle and a variety of new scents washed over him.

    The air smelled older than the rest of the forest. There was a hint of dust and foliage that clung to it, but the sweet and soothing scents of sage and lavender were woven in as well. Tarion breathed deeply, letting the scents settle his warring emotions before he opened his eyes.

    It was just as he remembered. The library rose before him like a castle that had been overgrown by trees, or carved from one so ancient that it stood higher than the Mountains of Donoa. Wooden staircases wound up to balconies, verandas, and entryways at different levels of the library.

    Hundreds of windows glistened along the gnarled walls. Moss, vines, and leaves covered almost everything. There was very little made from stone, and nothing built of metal from what Tarion could see and remember. He passed through the courtyard of gardens that sprawled before the library.

    Flowers and shrubs of every kind met his gaze. Wherever they weren't stood wooden statues of Drenusha instead. Tarion paused before a particularly large one erected in front of the grand staircase leading up to the library's main entrance. It had always been his favorite when he visited with his parents as a child.

    The statue was carved from a creamy dusty brown wood which he'd been told matched the goddess's skin tone perfectly. Drenusha's long flowing hair was whittled from a darker wood that had been attached to her body. Her round, doe-like eyes appeared to watch him as they always had. Laying at the goddess's feet was a large deer, the animal form Drenusha had chosen as her own.

    Tarion rested his palm on the doe's head with a deep sigh. Many believed Drenusha was the only goddess who could visit the mortal world despite her Ascension. She could take the mortal form of her deer and walk amongst her people for a time. He'd always wondered if it was true, and if the goddess had witnessed any of the terrible things he'd done.

    "If you're watching now," he whispered, "help us find our way." If Drenusha heard his prayer, she would know everything his words implied. Tarion's hand slipped from the doe and he made his way up the grand staircase.

    There were no doors blocking the library's entrance. In fact, there were no doors anywhere inside it either. Drenusha had proclaimed that her library would be open to everyone seeking to learn or find refuge, and it would never be closed or barred. Tarion stepped through the vaulted arch of the entrance and found himself inside the library.

    The main chamber resembled the hollowed center of a tree trunk, stretching up and up for several stories. Staircases and landings wound around the space, branching off into different levels. At the very top, a massive chandelier of crystal and sea glass dangled down multiple floors, casting dancing slivers of rainbows everywhere.