• Closed • Carve Not With Thy Hours

[Edalene]

2 Ashan 717

Edalene wandered through the stacks, her eyes resting gently on each title, her fingers trailing along through the dusty stacks. It had been seasons since some of these books had been touched, arcs, perhaps, for others. The musty smell in the stacks was strong, overpowering, and the scent would cling to Edalene's hair and clothes whenever she finally left. Eventually, her bedsheets would smell of old books, too, and perhaps she would crumble into the sheets like old parchment, herself.

She was dawdling. She knew that. But her work had finished for the day and she did not want to go home from the library and see her brother. Not because it was Aeodan; heavens knew she loved her brother with all her heart, but he had been acting different towards her recently. Edalene knew why. Of course she did. How could he be the same? And while Edalene was beyond grateful that Aeodan had accepted her and loved her nonetheless, there was some quiet masochistic part of her which thought - no, knew - he should hate her. And no, not even passively hate, but throw her to the guards and demand for her hanging. It would be what she deserved, she knew.

And yet, Aeodan did none of those things. Aeodan continued to love, and love, and love. He was there for her. Smiling gently, always an open ear. And yet, for all that she was grateful, she felt ill. Guilty. How had she discounted him so much for so many years? Had she always thought him so incapable, so weak as to handle horrible truths?

Edalene swallowed, shook her head of these thoughts. Chose a book at random. Cyndy Gale, A Novel of Old. It looked light and ridiculous, but still, Edalene settled onto the floor and leaned against the stacks, and began to read. Anything to avoid going home for a little while. Just until she could look Aeodan in the eye.

[Djinn]

The library usually emptied at this break, and this trial was no different. As she found her book and sat with it, Edalene found herself completely alone in the library. Even the cute librarian, the one that made her brother blush when she smiled at him, had taken the rest of the trial off. For Edalene, there could be no more serene a place. This room, with the dusty sunslight filtering through and the smell of musty tomes... This was as close to perfect as she was going to get.

And the book! Oh Immortals, the book! It was the perfect balance of comical and serious, with the very first line being, "Cyndy Gale? Who names their daughter Cyndy Gale?" It was obvious that the rest of the book was supposed to be a farcical tale about a hilariously named girl trying to make her way in the cruel world. There was romance! Oh yes! There was combat! There were pirates. Hell, there was even a talking mouse. ( It couldn't really talk... She'd taken some 'medicine'. ) In all, Edalene sped through the contents rather quickly, as it was obviously developed for a younger audience. But it served its purpose, it drew her mind from telling her brother of her woes. It distracted her for the time being, and that was all that mattered. But it was a thin cover, and once she'd read the book cover to cover, no more than a break, the emotion crashed back in like a wave, washing out her elation at the whimsy of the novel.

She needed something more concrete to distract her. She couldn't bear her isolation... She dwelt on that moment, playing it over and over. From the corner of her eye, movement caught her attention. At first, she could have sworn it was a dormouse, scurrying along a shelf in search of a delicious dairy treat. But it couldn't have been, at least not solely. Dormice didn't giggle, especially in a high-pitched, girlish tone. From behind the stacks, a brunette head appeared, barely cresting the row of tomes that sat there. So obscured, Edalene could not tell if she knew the girl, but it was obvious she was there. Another giggle arose, this time turning into laughter. Her voice tinkled like crystal, and then Edalene was sure that she was not an apparition.

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[Edalene]

Edalene, chuckling, closed the last page of the book. It was a ridiculous novel, obviously intended for school children. Edalene perhaps should have known that when she had started to read, but really she was looking for something to distract her, and her work was currently not enough. Still, she had read the entire novel, only a hundred pages or so, and leaned back against the dusty stacks, sighing. The light was darkening, she could tell, and soon it would be time for her to leave. Perhaps one more book. One more break in the library. That would be alright, wouldn't it?

Edalene hauled herself to her feet, her hair frazzled, smoothing dust from her dress. She picked up the light book from the floor - Cyndy Gale, indeed - and turned around, making sure to put it back in the stacks where it belonged. Order mattered in a library, Edalene knew that better than most, given how much of her work relied on the ease of access amongst the shelves - knowing where any book should be and would be at any given time. She began to scan the shelves for another such novel, something light and humorous, just to delay her travel home by a little longer.

A flash of movement caught her eye. Drat. Mice again. Always a problem in the library. Briefly, Edalene thought to herself about bringing Liss into work for a day, just to help out with the clear mouse problem they had, but Liss would most likely sit there and stare at Edalene balefully. Edalene shook her head, continued to search, but then the same thing happened - movement, and this time, a giggle. High pitched and girlish. Edalene looked for the mouse balefully, before her eyes came to rest on a pretty young girl, obscured behind books, and she laughed again.

"Can I help you?" Edalene asked balefully through the stacks. Did she know the girl? Perhaps not, but she couldn't see enough of her to tell. "Is something funny?" Edalene subconsciously looked down to her dress - perhaps she had spilled something? - but everything seemed fine. She cocked her head and waited on the other side of the stacks, waiting to hear just what was so funny. Like a Mexican standoff, but between shelves, not across a battleground.

[Djinn]

It was as if the girl knew that Edalene was approaching, because when she emerged from around the stacks, brightly coloured eyes stared back at her. The girl on the floor smiled radiantly at Edalene, who was not expecting such vibrancy in the dusty library. The girl had dark chestnut hair, a dress with bright splashes of floral patterns on it, and eyes such an intense colour it was hard to pinpoint which it was. In fact, it seemed as if they could be many or none; Changing eyes like a Biqaj.

But this girl was unlike any Biqaj Edalene had ever seen. Her ears weren't pointed, her skin was the colour of freshly powdered flour, and she seemed rather kept and clean. She could have been, perhaps, the noble daughter of some lordly house, what with her beautiful clothing and gleaming cleanliness. But the girl acted if as none of that were present. Instead, in her hand, she held a copy of Cyndy Gale. She continued to look at Edalene, though her smile grew larger.

"Not unless you can direct me in the way of something far more serious. This is making me laugh too hard, I'm afraid I'll shatter the hourglass."

She giggled again, seemingly amused by her own joke. Eyes that were only a trill ago blue, and were now hazel, flashed over Edalene's form. Her smile never wavered, the warmth from her gaze never dimming.

"Do you work here? Or just spend your time in the library after hours?"

There was no accusation in the girl's words. Instead, there was a bit of awe in it.

"Me, I've always loved libraries, but always found a certain bitterness in them. They can teach us so much, but its in their endings that we find our knowledge. Such a bitter task, a book has."

A faraway look entered the girl's visage, but only briefly. As she stood, something washed over Edalene. Familiarity, it seemed. She had never met the girl before, but she knew her. The girl certainly noticed, for her smile took on a clever and coy look. Hazel eyes were now chocolate brown, inexplicably. Despite her best efforts, Edalene could not see the transformation, instead only noticing when the eyes were already a different colour.

"I'm sorry, but you look as if you've seen a ghost. There aren't any ghosts in here, are there?"

She knew there were not, but she played along with the charade anyway. She looked around, seemingly searching for the incorporeal beings, and when she turned back, her eyes were the shining silver of a wolf's at midnight.
Secret Achievement Discovered!

You've discovered the "Rumpelstiltskin" achievement. Somewhere in the lore of Standing Trials, there is a mention of this bright and vivacious girl. Should you research and find her name, and call her by it in the next post, you will have achieved this secret goal, and will earn a bonus at the end of this thread. Should you be unable to find it, she will tell you her name, but you will miss out on the achievement and the bonuses at the end. A few words of advice? Be creative.

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[Edalene]

Tentatively, Edalene rounded the stacks, curious to see just who would be giggling at such a late hour when all Edalene had wanted was the library alone. She was not expecting the pure vibrancy of the girl. Swirls of colour on her dress, a large grin, and pretty eyes that seemed to dance with light, shimmering colours that danced ever out of reach. There was something familiar about her, but Edalene couldn't quite place it. Almost like a forgotten dream...

Edalene looked down at the book in her hand, smiling despite herself. "I just read that, actually." There was something endearing about the girl. She seemed - well, she seemed alive, and there was a great deal of joy filling her. "I was actually just looking for another book myself, but all the serious books - well, what I read, it would probably put you to sleep." A wry smile. Edalene doubted the woman would want to read about the Venora's economic history.

The girl's question surprised her from her reverie. "No, no. Well, yes, I work here, but not here here." A pretty blush filled her cheeks. "I mean I work at the university, but not here in the library. I'm an assistant researcher for the history department." Then the girl surprised her. The words that came out of her mouth, Edalene felt that exact same sentiment... books were relics of the past, of time, but they held so many lessons in them. Lessons learnt too late.

"Yes, exactly," Edalene said, her hands picking at her dress. "Not just in endings, but well, for me - with history, it's lessons learnt too late. After the damage has been done. All we can do is hope we learn from the past and do better the next time around." Not likely. People were always the same and would make the same mistakes of greed, selfishness, jealousy. Her heart felt heavy, and Edalene looked curiously at the changing eyes of the girl. Something familiar... a name on the tip of her tongue...

And the girl knew it. She teased her, speaking of ghosts. Briefly Edalene thought of Godryn, of the haunting spectre of the past, but as the eyes changed to silver, the name came to her. "Ti'atha!" The name burst forward suddenly, and Edalene coloured. "I'm sorry, not to be rude, but - you are Ti'atha, aren't you?" Even as she asked, Edalene knew it was her. The Mortalborn of colours - of course. Her eyes gave her away, and the books, and the colours - of course. Edalene flushed. A Mortalborn, here? Speaking to her? "What are you doing here?" she asked, burning with curiosity. What could Ti'atha want with her, a mere researcher?

[Djinn]

The Mortalborn's bright eyes lit up as Edalene recognized her, blushing furiously at how quickly she'd be found out. Not that she minded. The Mortalborn of Colours and Curiosity enjoyed speaking with those who enjoyed being studious and creative. She smiled radiantly, her hair bouncing as she inclined her head. Reaching out, she brushed a hand over Edalene’s.
 
”I am Ti’atha! Pleasure to meet you, bright eyes.”
 
She smiled again, this time looking around at all the books in the library. Her face was pure bliss, and when she looked back at Edalene, her eyes were a relaxing blue.
 
”What am I doing here? Same thing as you, silly. I love the library. There are so many interesting concepts in the world, and this one place houses a little bit of all of them. If you want to learn about bowing, you can. If you want to learn how to make your own paints, you can. If you want to study the first settlers of Viden, you can. The possibilities in this room are limited only by your imagination.”
 
She took a deep breath and sighed in contentedness. There was something endearing about the Mortalborn of Colours, something that made Edalene relax more in her presence. Smiling again, Ti’atha continued.
 
”There is something truly wondrous about that, don’t you think?” Her voice was filled with adoration for the room of knowledge. ”Silly me, I’ve forgotten to ask your name. You guessed mine, but I’m not quite so gifted.”
 
Her body language was all warmth and friendliness. She was unassuming, but captivating, particularly in her sweeping movements and gestures. She used her hands a lot as she talked, and every sentence was punctuated with a smile and a giggle. She was cutesy, but there was a wisdom in her changing eyes. Instead of girlish innocence, she exuded an aura of controlled joy. She had another side, but she was keeping it in check, and Edalene could feel that about her. Perhaps there was a wistfulness behind her eyes… It wasn’t clear to Edalene.
 
  Rumpelstiltskin Achievement Unlocked!
By figuring out that the girl before you is, in fact, Ti'atha, the Mortalborn of Colours, you have unlocked the secret achievement 'Rumpelstiltskin'! Because you unlocked this achievement, you have earned +5 Fame and a small scroll tube, containing Ti’atha’s Kaleidoscope inside to be awarded at the end of the thread. As long as you are in a lit area, looking through this kaleidoscope changes the colours of the world around you. Using it to look at a location or an object will allow you to determine whether or not the object was ever touched by an Immortal or a Mortalborn. If touch by an Immortal, the colour of the object will change to a hazy yellow, and a Mortalborn, a seafoam green colour. Though it does not tell you which Immortal or Mortalborn, you know it’s been touched, and thus has some significance.
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[Edalene]

Edalene smiled in response to Ti'atha. She had managed to encapsulate exactly what Edalene herself felt - the library was a word of possibilities. "I forget who said it," Edalene said, sitting down next to the Mortalborn and making herself comfortable. "But someone said that books are the birthplace of imagination. I don't know if that's true, but I like the sound of that. Do you think that means that those who don't read are limited in imagination? I do. I mean, of course there are those who can't read, and that's fine, but I think if you can and you choose not to, well, all you're doing is limiting yourself. Holding yourself back. It's books that take the impossible and make it plausible."

Then she flushed. She just realised how she had managed to rant for a while about books. While Aeodan would have appreciated the monologue, and would have sat there smiling and agreeing with his sister, that did not mean that everyone would appreciate Edalene waxing lyrical about such a topic. "I'm so sorry, how rude of me," she apologised. "My name is Edalene. Edalene Burnett. I'm sorry about rambling. My brother and I do it quite a lot, and well... now I'm doing it again." She bit her lip, flushing. "I just ... really like books."

There was something about Ti'atha, though. An edge beneath all the colours and the smiles. Edalene had a suspicion that when it came down to it, this woman could be hard and determined, for all she seemed soft in this moment. Edalene was the same - people assumed her to be a bookworm, physically inept, and while that was true, there was a steel inside of her that was not to be underestimated. "Have you been in Andaris long?" she asked, not sure what to say or do, but not wanting her encounter with the Mortalborn of Creativity to come to a premature close.

[Djinn]

Ti'atha only smiled as Edalene spoke, colourful eyes attentively watching Edalene's expression and lips as she spoke. Strangely, Edalene had never felt so heard in her life. It was as if the Mortalborn were in the room specifically to listen to Edalene speak, and there was no ire in her expression at all as Edalene apologised. Instead, she broke out into a radiant smile at the apology.

"No need for apologies, my dear. Your passion is invigorating." Her voice was light and airy, and the laugh that followed was the vocal equivalent to a beautiful sunset. The atmosphere of the room was growing more relaxed as the bits passed. With a smile, Ti'atha escorted Edalene to another section of the library, this one filled with more serious texts. As they walked, Ti'atha spoke.

"Hm. I've not been in Andaris long, relatively. See, I was sort of sent here on a mission. Well, not so much a mission as a fetch quest, if you will. My, erm... Employer is rather irate that he cannot remember a particular fact, and so I've come to one of the most accomplished places of learning in order to try and track down the fact. The issue is... He can't remember what it is he's forgotten. It's your classic case of trying to remedy an ailment that can't be identified. So I thought to myself, 'Ti', it's time to get creative.' And here I am, looking through every text I can get my hands on. Admittedly..." She grinned mischievously. "Cyndy Gale is a guilty pleasure of mine from when I was a girl."

Her laugh twinkled once again, displaced against the stolid atmosphere of the library. Eyes now a shining gold turned back to Edalene as they came to a stop, the stack of shelves in front of them imposing and inviting. Ti'atha turned and ran a finger over a few of the texts before turning back to Edalene.

"I know we just met, Edalene, but I'd be eternally grateful for the help. In all honesty, I was getting a bit disheartened. But four eyes are better than two, right?" And then it was clear what the visage was beneath the façade. Ti'atha was exhausted, determination trumping her desire to relent. Though she didn't appear it, the Mortalborn girl was growing more and more disappointed with her quest, and it was beginning to wear on her drive. Her meeting Edalene was, in her opinion, either wonderful luck, or the world telling her that her quest was upon her. She bit her lip as she awaited Edalene's answer.

"The only clue he could remember was that it was a particular people. 'Better than Dragons, they are.' I'm not sure what that meant..." Again, the tiredness seemed to sear through the carefree mask.

Secret Achievement Discovered!

You've discovered the "Forget Me Maybe" achievement. Ti'atha's quest has her searching for a piece of esoteria, buried deep in the sands of time. Should you discover this ancient group, and help the Mortalborn through her quest, you will be rewarded with the "Forget Me Maybe" achievement, granting you a persistent link to Ti'atha. The benefits and restrictions of this link are still yet unknown, but will make themselves clear as time goes on... Or stands still. You have TWO rounds of posting to help her figure it out before this Achievement is lost forever.

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[Edalene]

Edalene followed Ti'atha easily, eager to see where this would go, and unwilling to give up this chance encounter prematurely. Ti'atha looked tired, weary with age and exhaustion, and Edalene felt her heart go out to the Mortalborn. "I understand," she said, sending a sympathetic smile to the woman. "It can be hard. With my work, when I'm researching, sometimes you get to a dead end and get stuck, so you have to retrace your steps. I'm happy to help." Edalene smiled at the way that Ti'atha caressed the books on the shelves, as if they were precious things. They were - especially to Edalene.

"Better than dragons," she mused aloud, pondering what that could mean. The dragons were a remnant of bygone history, so far removed that they seemed more like legend than fact. "Well," Edalene mused, as she began to walk through the stacks. "How about we start with dragons, and then see what could possibly be better than them?" Edalene led Ti'atha through the stacks of the library, toward the section that held Idalos history.

"This is my favourite section of the library," she confessed to Ti'atha as she scanned the titles on the shelves. "My field of research definitely tends to focus on Rynmere nobility and their history, but sometimes it's nice to remember there's a whole world out there, with many cultures and languages and ways of life." Her fingers paused on a book. "A-ha!" she crowed, showing it to Ti'atha as she pulled it from the shelves. "Early Idalosian History. It's a bit of a general overview, but it'll help us find somewhere to start."

Normally, Edalene would take the book to a desk and work, but she doubted she'd be using this particular text for long. She flipped open the book, and scanned the pages of the contents. Finding a chapter titled 'Pre-Originals Idalos', she flipped the pages open. Scanning the familiar history that Edalene had read hundreds of time, her eyes caught on the word dragon.

"Listen to this," she said to Ti'atha. Her own eyes didn't change colour, but they were sparkling with the joy of research. "The Dragons were the envoys of the Spirits that inhabited Idalos. Where later the Immortals would gain control of the spiritual world, the Dragons acted on behalf as the caretakers and guardians of the physical world. They were sentient and grand, and had a close relationship with the Induk of Idalos. The Dragons were linked fiercely and unbendingly to the world, preserving it with fervour. They were opposed to drastic changes, and ruled over the physical chaos of early Idalos with defensive and patriotic devotion."

Edalene looked up at Ti'atha. "It's wordy, but it makes sense. But the problem is - what could be better than Dragons? The Originals? Or the Immortals? But surely your employer wouldn't forget about them..."

[Djinn]

Ti'atha gathered close to Edalene, her bright, floral scent clouding the air around the two. It wasn't overpowering. In fact, it was just noticeable enough for Edalene to identify the particular hints of each individual flower. Ti'atha's hair fell over Edalene's shoulder as the two read the same paragraph. Ti'atha put a hand on Edalene's shoulder, giving a quick squeeze in excitement.

"Spirit envoys! Do you think they were natural spirits? On Idalos from the beginning of time? My employer would certainly... Be interested in that." Her voice faltered ever so slightly. She was trying not to give away the identity of her employer, but Edalene was intuitive.

"Though, that would be difficult to record. No, I don't think it's natural spirits. Okay. So. Dragons, they were caretakers and gatekeepers. What could be more magnificent than that? Could you imagine?" Ti'atha let out a sigh, and her breath smelled as alluring as her perfume. She rested some of her weight against Edalene as she began to daydream.

"You know, I've never seen one. A dragon, that is. In all my arcs, I've never gotten to see one. I should like to see one, one trial. They have got to be some of the most curious creatures on all of Idalos." Her voice was tempered with awe. She took on a glassy look in her eyes, as if she were thousands of kilometers away. She turned and slid down the stack of books, resting her head on Edalene's knee.

"Flying through the air, being so connected to the natural world of Idalos. I'm not often jealous, but I am jealous of the dragons, Eda. So very jealous." Her bright smile was wistful now. She snapped out of it quickly, her eyes turning from the icy blue they were to a brilliant bouquet of gold. She beamed at Edalene.

"Thank you for helping me, Edalene. The best adventure is meeting someone new. And I'm glad I met you." Her voice was sincere and solemn, but still light. It was amazing to Edalene how upbeat the girl was, especially when faced with a task this monumental. Ti'atha just smiled along, and for some reason, it lifted Eda's spirits. It was hard to get discouraged around the Mortalborn girl.

"Alright, we should find this. My employer should not be left alone for long. He tends to get himself down..." And with that, she stood again, determined. Her eyes turned a solid, chestnut brown.

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