Demitytes Bride

Judging books by covers

Kashara was awake before the first rays of morning light even pierced her room. Today, She would meet an elemental who would help her gain back her magic. She was too skittish to even eat breakfast as she sat waiting for Lord Dalbus to perhaps finally arrive.

Lord Dalbus did arrive, in his usual ambling walk. " Hello Your Highness, had a good breakfast?" Kashara briefly nodded, anxious to get to the Arcarage or whatever it was. She quickly got up from her bed and moved towards the doorway before Lord Dalbus started one of his long winding conversations about some inane object or whatnot. Last time she had been subject to the wonderful intricacies of cosy making. Ugh..

She exited her rooms at a breakneck speed, leaving Lord Dalbus to meander behind slowly. Lord Dalbus however managed to somehow propel his pudgy legs to catch up to her and huffed heavily with the exertion, " Morning exercise, Your highness?".

"Not really no, Just thought we might be late." She finally said, realising she couldn't avoid speaking. She lapsed into the silence that followed her pronouncement, interrupted only by the frequent huffs issued by Lord Dalbus in exhaustion.

Kashara was surprised to see the first physical doors in Demitytes, instead of the usual glass flowing doors. As she and Lord Dalbus approached the doors, a page standing outside knocked on the door and whispered into a panel. Slowly, the doors began to swing open and Kashara was treated to a view of room that spoke of ancient power and magic

The Arcarage was unlike any other structure in Demitytes. It looked like something built a long time ago. The ceilings were astronomical, and had huge painted wooden 'suns' hanging down from them. The room itself had a glow as if illuminated from within.

In the center, many elementals sat with books and most were talking, no teaching students. Beyond them and to the sides of the room , there were huge bookcases. These bookcases went overhead and had protruding balconies in some places, were more people were sitting.

The back of the room, which went on for nearly half a mile, was inexplicable shrouded in a dark mist, and Kashara could just make out stairs that led to a huge balcony and more bookcases.

It was immense, and looked like an entire castle on its own. Kashara eyes couldn't leave the sight and her jaw was hanging off. She had become so blinded, she even missed a timid page asking her to follow him. Lod Dalbus had cleared his throat twice in order to help the boy, but finally resorted to poking Kashara's arm.

Kashara snapped back to attention, and eventually followed the flustered page onto a tumbling staircase of sorts that was narrow and chaotic, onto a high balcony. She felt her excitement grow as they neared an old man who was bent over a pile of books. He looked ancient as the room, and Kashara had a feeling he was the man she was supposed to meet. He was browsing through three or four books in tandem, and seemed extremely busy. 

The man looked up as they were coming near and fixed Kashara with an intense scowl. "You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

'Wonderful' Kashara thought dryly, ' The old man was clearly repressing some Fallon-nian genes in his ancestry.That or he is another relative of Fallon I have yet to meet.' Kashara shuddered that perhaps this old man was Fallon's great grandfather or something, before realising Fallon was practically an orphan.

She threw Lord Dalbus a withering glare, blaming him for the lateness, which was happily ignored by the lord in question, who had reached up and grabbed the old man into a warm hug. Kashara winced. The man looked like he was going to freeze Lord Dalbus with his glare. "Kindly get your hands of me, Dalbus. I won't repeat it again." His voice could freeze the eternal flame.