Master Of None

"These books are strange." Gil had tried to take a book from the shelves just now to see what they might contain. Unfortunately, he had found the first two he tried stuck to the shelves. The runes glowing in the air stopping him completely.

"There are requirements. I think this should be called a restricted library. Not just anyone can take a book. Like this one." Remey was the one to speak up which was surprising.

She touched a single book with red flames on the spine. It came free in an instant causing some fire elemental mana to leak from it. "I could feel this one. My partner knew." She smiled softly while looking at the first page.

"The restricted library? From the fairytale about the process and dragon trapped inside a library castle? They couldn't do anything but clean books until they stopped the fight between their kingdoms?" Su recognized the children's story and felt that this might be a good name for this ancient library.

"Exactly the book. Umm, Walker, I'm going to read this one." Walker was curious what would make Remey stop. However, he was not going to make her tell him everything.

​ "Whatever it is, do it. You said you and Azar felt that book was important. I trust you." If Walker forced Remey to move on he knew she would be distracted. Knowledge that could help her and a grand elemental spirit was important in its own right.

"Mhm…" Remey was already consumed by the book. The fire elemental mana moving around her proved that Walker was right to let her be.

"So one person has already been stolen by the library." Leon felt that this could be harder than expected. Especially if the books here were calling out to them.

"This place is mysterious to us but had a purpose once upon a time. The engine trace that created this did so for a reason." Su still had a hand on one of her twin shields. She worried that there was danger around the corner.

" Agreed. This place feels like a forest at night. Full of hidden knowledge waiting for the right person to look." Alma also felt a little at home. This was similar to the feeling the archives that the elves have.

"Oh, it does feel like that. But less menacing. More like it has been waiting for all of us and is going to see where we let it take us. I feel like, well, I feel like it wants us to find what we need?"

Describing his feelings made Gil feel slightly embarrassed. However, everyone could feel this as well. The feeling that this place was made to learn over anything else as long as they followed the rules.

The floor rumbled again making everyone take a battle ready position. "Alright. Everyone has supplies we might get separated." Walker had everyone group up as the bookshelves near them rose and fell.

The floor tiles moved causing all of them to unintentionally spread out. "Wait, no!" Gil was pulled back by a role moving faster to the side while the others got pulled in the opposite direction. He felt that the library had done this just because he had tried to remain together with the others.

"Gil, just stay focused! Onyx and Midnight should be back soon. They will help!" Walker did his best to calm Gil. It was all they could do as a bookshelf rose up.

What Walker didn't notice was that Alma and Leon had also been separated. The only one left by his side was Su, who had grabbed Walker's shirt holding them together.

"Sorry…I didn't want to be alone in here." There was a look of worry on Su's face that said she was worried about being alone more than she was about any dangers.

"You have been even more quiet than usual all morning. What's wrong?" Walker knew there was more to the way that Su was acting. She would not act weaker than she was out of nothing. She must have a reason.

"It's…it's everything that happened. We made so much work just to have to chase the danger down again." There was a mountain of stress on Walker's shoulders. He knew this and was feeling the effects. However, Su was feeling it too.

"My partner and I have made great leaps strength. We are the best but we were still too slow and weak to stop those villains from leaving. They did too much wrong here. And they just got to walk away?" Su began a rant that Walker felt she had needed to get out for some time but had been keeping herself together for looks. Too many soldiers had been around. Too many people that needed to see her as the pillar of defense she was.

"What about all the training we've done? I can channel more earth elemental mana. My body isn't even just human anymore! Look at me, I have rougher skin, stronger muscles, and I can even breathe flames if I want!" there was a heat in the air that made Walker stumble.

When he looked at Su closer he saw that he was speaking the truth. He knew that the dragon blood within her had changed her body and that she had possessed this skill. Yet, he had not believed it to develop so far. To be to a level that it was actually able to be done.

"Su, I know it's a lot. It's more than any other human normally goes through. More than they can imagine. But you and I are both not just human anymore. Even if we weren't physically human, we accepted every race on this world. Every single race. The way I see it, we are part of every single race now. Even Gil who is so close to the elves isn't just human or elf."

From Su's perspective, Walker was right to a degree. They stood for the unified races. Many would intermingle through the generations eventually leading to a radically changed people. Accepting that now would change things.

"You are still Su. compassionate and kind to the point of throwing yourself in front of the world's greatest danger to protect someone. So stop thinking that you are the only one. You aren't, you can be protected too. What do you think your family is for? We aren't here for just show."

The words were not overly complicated. Walker spoke calmly but made sure that Su felt the mana rolling off of him. With the skills he had and his bond with dragons, abyssal serpents, and a nature spirit his body was filled with bonds and mana that were not his. He was still human but he knew that there was something different, something changing in his soul. Not just his body. He showed this openly.

"Also, with the whole dragon blood thing and spirits being bonded with us, we have a long LONG life to live. Do you think you will ever really be alone?" Some people wouldn't feel better thinking of this. Some people would feel the fear of seeing those they loved die. Yet, Su felt warmer. She knew that her family was also affected by the adventures. Remey was bound to find some alchemical immortality. Gil would somehow manage to live as long as the wind. Onyx and Midnight were monster races that could exist for generations. So many family members would remain by their side.

"You can get sickly sweet sometimes…you know?" Su's voice was a whisper before she stepped in front of Walker. She had taken the lead down the next row of books that bent toward the center of the massive library. Walker wasn't sure if what he had said was right but Su seemed to be accepting it for now.

"The mana is moving again." Su felt the ground start to move before Walker. Her connection with Alvaro proving to be the key in preparing for the maze of shelves to change.

"We were heading toward the center so we should try and stay where we are or on this path." Walker saw the tickles shifting while a shelf began to rumble up ahead of them changing their direction.

The two attempted to jump over it but found the runes in the air stopping them with a soft wind. It was a warning that they had to maintain the path given to them. The rumbling stopped and Walker found that stairs had formed in front of him. Instead of just a path the library could make stairs to the smaller risen shelves in front of them.

"This place is stranger and stranger," Su mumbled while Walker and her stepped up. The books showing golden painted spines. Many languages and runes they couldn't recognize. Even some that they believed would never be pronounced in a human tongue.

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