Between Light and Darkness

6

I had to down a couple stamina jars to make it up those gods forsaken stairs.

As I reached the top I stopped and looked around there was normally students meandering and doing their studies and tasks. Today it was silent. It was probably for the weather, its been snowing increasingly more. Not worrisome for this location, though. I headed to the arcanium. Urag was bound to have something, if not he can point me in the direction of it.

"Urag!" I burst through the door startling the students huddling around the desk.

"Arch-Mage! The librarian is gone!" A frantic voice cut through the corridors, sending a ripple of whispers among the gathered students. I narrowed my eyes, pushing through the crowd that had gathered near the Arcanaeum's entrance. My patience was already wearing thin after the journey, and this was hardly the welcome I'd expected.

"Move," I barked, parting the sea of students with a sharp gesture, my gaze fixated on the familiar sight of the librarian's desk. "Surely, this is a hoax." Urag was as rooted in the Arcanaeum as the scrolls themselves. The idea that he'd simply vanish was absurd.

But when I reached the desk, the cluttered surface was indeed empty. No Urag, no rustling of pages, no grumbling about lost books. The absence of his usual presence felt oddly unsettling. The towering shelves behind the desk seemed to loom larger, their shadows stretching across the stone floor like accusing fingers.

I let out a quiet sigh and turned on my heel, heading toward my quarters with a confident stride. I knew exactly where he'd be. On occasion, Urag would retreat there, claiming to "organize the scrolls." But we both knew better. He'd sneak away to devour the ancient texts himself, pouring over the forbidden knowledge tucked away from prying eyes. As I ascended the spiral staircase to my chambers, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of catching him red-handed. The old Orc had always had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and his gruff exterior masked a deep reverence for the mysteries contained within those ancient pages. I reached the heavy oak door and pushed it open. Sure enough, the familiar sight greeted me. Urag gro-Shub, the steadfast librarian of the Arcanaeum, sat hunched over a table, a stack of scrolls and tomes piled high around him. The golden glow of candlelight cast flickering shadows across his worn, leathery features. His tusks protruded slightly from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated intently, not even bothering to look up as I entered.

"Urag, my friend," I called out, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "Care to tell me why the students are gathered around your desk downstairs, looking like lost sheep?"

Without missing a beat or lifting his gaze from the delicate script before him, he replied in his usual gruff tone. "I told them to wait there until I got back. Figured they could stare at the shelves for a while, might learn a thing or two." His voice carried the weight of years spent among dusty tomes, with the dry humor of a man who had seen far too many overeager apprentices. I crossed my arms, leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Ah, I see," I said with a raised brow. "And you didn't think to inform them how long they'd be standing there? They look ready to start a revolt."He snorted softly but remained fixated on the scroll, his eyes scanning the ancient text as though it held the secrets of the universe. "They're not going anywhere. If they have enough time to bother me, they have enough time to wait." He flipped the scroll over with a deliberate flick of his wrist, revealing yet another layer of intricately woven script. The room was filled with the soft crackle of parchment and the faint scent of aged ink, a stark contrast to the chaos undoubtedly brewing downstairs. I shook my head, amused by his indifference.

"You know, Urag, one day they might just decide to ransack the library in search of you. I'm not sure if that's the lesson you're aiming for."

He finally glanced up, his dark eyes meeting mine with a hint of irritation, though I could tell he wasn't truly bothered. "If they're smart enough to find me, they deserve the answer they're looking for."

I chuckled, knowing better than to argue with him. There was no moving Urag when he was in one of these moods—especially not when he was knee-deep in a scroll that had probably been untouched for centuries.

"Well," I said, pushing off the doorframe, "don't leave them there too long. I'd rather not have to explain to them why I know where you are and wont tell them." He grunted in response, already back to his reading. I turned to leave, a small smile lingering on my lips. The students would just have to wait a bit longer.

"Anything else?" he called after me, his voice tinged with dry humor, though he still didn't bother to look up.

I paused at the door, glancing back at him, my eyes flicking over the stacks of scrolls he'd claimed as his temporary fortress. "Just try not to get too lost in there, Urag. I'll need you for something important soon."

He waved a dismissive hand, already half-immersed in the scroll again. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

I gave one last look at the room, the soft light illuminating the timeworn pages of history surrounding Urag. With a final shake of my head, I left him to his musings, heading back down to face the growing impatience of the students below.