The Mirror Guardian

Chapter Nineteen: I'm In Heaven!

Chapter Nineteen: I'm In Heaven!

Mailee walked down the marble hall, her dress flowing behind in a purple and white waves. She hasn't run into Rinaru yet, but she doesn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Mmmhhh...It should be around here somewhere like he said..." She crossed her arms. She passed another set of closed doors. "Idiot naga," she grumbled.

There was a bounce in her step as Mailee walked on, the thought of Soveliss was a bit uneasy on her. It was silent for a few minutes before an explosion sounded nearby, then another. "What in the world is that awful noise?" Mailee looked around as she walked through a set of double doors, and Nooroo pointed up as they entered into a small courtyard with a chirp.

Mailee's eyes looked up as the clock finished its was cry. She'd never heard Bella like that. From the courtyard sprouted a tower made of creepy gray stones. Two gargoyles, wings spread for flight, perched on each of the four clock faces, soundlessly roaring at those beneath. "What a horrible thing," she whispered. The numbers were like war paint on the white face of the clock, the hands like swords as they slashed across the pearly surface.

Mailee examined the clock for second more. The thick, clawed finger of a gargoyle pointed at her. She could have sworn that it's jaws had widened. As she made to leave, she noticed a tile in the paved pathway. "Dè tha seo? (What's this?)" Nooroo have her a confused look as she tried to look for what Mailee found.

Mailee pointed at the mark engraved on the slate. It was a circle with two snakes circling each other. "Carson a tha an comharra seo? (What is this mark for?)" Nooroo shrugged at shoulders. Mailee examined the gargoyle again. "He's pointing at it. What does the symbol mean?"

She decided to leave from the courtyard, away from the shadow of the clock tower and into the marble halls of the palace. Try as she might, and walked as far as she did, she couldn't shake the feeling that those bulging eyes were still upon her.

Mailee continued past the kitchen quarters, which were the door was open and she stopped and backed up a bit once she saw that on the counter was cake. "Hhhmmmm....I'll come back for that later." Once beyond, she entered a long hallway, empty and silence save for her footsteps.

Mailee suddenly halted. "An e seo e? (Is this it?)" She breathed, "Dh'fheumadh e bhith. (It got to be.)" She pointed at the twenty-four oak doors, her eyes widening at the dragon that grew out of either side of the stone wall.

On the door had a small sign that said library. "Seo e! (This is it!)" She looked at the claw-shaped iron handles. Mailee opened the doors, the aching muscles on her back shifting as she pushed hard against the worn oak.

Compared to the sunlit hallway, the interior that stretched beyond seemed formidably dark, but as she stepped inside, candelabras came into view, along with black-and-white marble floors, large mahogany tables with red velvet chairs, a slumbering fire, mezzanines, bridges, ladders, railings, and then books-- books and books and books.

They had entered a city made entirely of leather and paper. Mailee put a hand on her against her heart. "This is heaven..." She breathed out slowly. Her heart leapt and danced, and she cracked a smile. "Feumaidh gu bheil co-dhiù còrr air millean leabhar ann an seo. Bhithinn a 'bàsachadh mus fhaigh mi eadhon tro leth dhiubh sin. (There has to be at least over a million books in here. I'd die before I even get through half of these.)"

She moved further into the library, the train of her gown sweeping across the floor. She neared a shelf and looked at the titles. She recognized some and some she didn't.

Grinning, she whirled and moved through the main floor, running a hand across the dusty books. She turned from the stack as she was currently studying. "Càite am bu chòir dhuinn tòiseachadh, Nooroo? (Where should we start, Nooroo?)" She was uncertain on where to begin. "Bheir seo uairean mura h-eil làithean dhuinn a bhith a 'coimhead airson an leabhar cheart. (This will take hours if not days for us to look for the right book.)" She admitted. Though apart of her savored the hope that the search will be easy. "If only if I had a pair of..." Sitting on one of the tables were a pair of archivist spectacles.

Those were rare to find or difficult to make and cost a hefty fortune. These will help her tremendously with looking for a way to break the bonds and Soveliss's chains.

With these Mailee could read the books three times faster than normal speed and will highlight certain words on pages that the wearer is searching for. "Well, hello~....Mine~ ." Mailee giggled and took the spectacles from the table and slipped them onto her face.

She started to walk around, searching for clues on which book to start on, and took them off the shelve once they lit up. She didn't recognize any of the titles, though one either was familiar. Choosing the book them seemed the most interesting, Mailee flipped into a chair and began to read.