Running up the long spiraling staircase, the aroma of dust and the faint smell of aged paper withering away lingered in the air. The flickering dim lights painted a better picture of the library, showing off more of its collection, books of dark leather, and some adorned symbols of a forgotten language of the past. The cracked stone-blank tall walls told a story of its own, showing that despite its old age, the foundation kept it sturdy and together as if it could hold out till the end of time. The three's shadows raced against the cracked stone walls as they reached the first floor of the mysterious maze.
"Rindex, why are we slowing down? Keep going," said Belle, perplexed by the sudden stop.
"Ya Dexy now is not the time," said Rex, mirroring Belle's sentiments.
"I agree with you too, but we have a slight problem," said Rindex in a forlorn manner.
Eyebrows raised in concern, Belle and Rex looked at each other than at Rindex, simultaneously saying, "Slight problem?" In a remorseful response, Rindex would say, "So there's good news and bad news. The good news is that I found a short cut that will get us to the heart and 50th floor of the maze quicker by cutting through the history section of floors 1–7. The bad news is, um....
Rindex would shut down a bit in embarrassment, struggling to articulate her thoughts. Noticing her regretful and shy demeanor, Rex would adjust his tone.
"Breath and think, Dexy; whatever it is, we'll figure it out as a team," said Rex in a soft, patient voice.
"Thank you, Rex; you always know what to say." Rindex would say listening to Rex's directions and doing so for a few seconds.
"Ok, so normally, I don't come down to these lower floors very often since most of the books are too old to clean without ruining their authentic exterior. So, I chose to leave them alone for a few months, but in those recent months some Dust Fairies snuck in and started hanging around," said Rindex.
"Really, you're worried about a couple Dust Fairies. I deal with them all the time in the old book section at my university's library; they are just a couple pesky low-mana level creatures, no different than a mosquito. Clear em out with water spells in less than 2 months and you're set unless you left them alone longer than that," said Belle, matter a factly.
"Well about that," Rindex would say, looking to the ground.
With a frustrated facepalm, Rex would say, "Cheese and Crackers, Dexy.".
"Oh my gosh, how long did you leave them alone, Rindex?" yelled Belle, in surprise. "I would say a couple months shorter than 2 months, but to be honest, I lost track. I'm sorry," said Rindex, in distress. "You lost track. How could you lose track? Aren't you a walking index and book? Those poor old books are most likely torn apart. What kind of librarian are you? Plus, any librarian worth anything would know that the longer a dust fairy sticks around old books, their small brains become abnormally smarter; they become more vicious and resistant to their weaknesses," said Belle, getting in Rindex's face, with her love for books ruling her mind.
"Woah, woah, calm down, Ms. Belle. I admire your admiration for books, but we have more important things to worry about," said Rex, pushing back Belle. "Dammit you right, my bad, I was getting a bit overzealous over what's probably dust in the wind now," said Belle, shaking her head. "Good, now Rindex, can you give us a rundown at least of the scale of dust fairies numbers? I know you can do that," Rex would say confidently. "Right, right, I should do that," Rindex would say in response, shaking off her anxiety.
"Over 100,000," said Rindex. "Holy shite, that's a whole fooking years' worth of little dust fairies coming out in groups of 100," Belle would say, shocked with her eye twitching in irritation. "That's bad, Dexy, really bad. Why didn't you tell my family about this? We could have handled it lickety-split," said Rex in a disappointed tone. "I'm sorry, Rex. I thought of that, but it got out of hand so fast. I was embarrassed to ask for help. I'm supposed to be the keeper of this library, and I can't even handle a few dust fairies," said Rindex, tearing up sorrowfully.
YOU ARE READING
Starry Eyed Fighters
FantasíaRaised by her grandparents in Ireland, Belle had a fairly normal upbringing. But since finding out about her real parents when she finished college. She often finds herself questioning the mysterious disappearance of her parents. Until one day, she...
