Aliandra

  I’m te!

  Ali charged the length of her apartment at breakneck speed, snatg up the few essentials by the door: the letter, her ented unication panel, and most importantly, her library card. She paused just long enough to mist her hanging orchid with a little revitalizing boost of nature mana before she stuffed one arm into the sleeve of her warm coat, yahe door open, and rushed out. She shoved the door shut with a foot, but it got away from her and smmed with a loud bang that would most certainly earn her a nasty message from the nosy Humans living downstairs.

  She took the narrow stairs two at a time a onto the patiently waiting disk h above the pavement at the bottom. She slipped and nded sideways, the panel and her library card slipping from her hands and cttering across the hard surface, but fortuhis transport ptform was made to aodate the rger races, and she was able to catch her things before they spilled out into the street.

  “Go!” she said.

  Purple runes lit up around the edge of the ptform, making it hum and rise higher above the ground as the warm rush of nearby active mana washed over her skin. The disk turned, accelerating smoothly as it shot out te with the traffic.

  Ali took a breath.

  It was a good thing she had scheduled the transport yesterday. Getting lost in a good book and missing her appoi with the Head of Magical Research at the Grand Library Ara was not the reended way to make a good first impression.

  Her faculty t-shirt was doing nothing to break the chill of the wind rushing past as her transport banked into the main arterial boulevard and the traffic of thousands of uters rushing bad forth. But as she wrestled with her coat, she caught her stunted wings on the edge of the wing-slots, wreng them painfully. She winced. She should have knower – she always mao catch the useless things on nearly everything, especially when she was rushing. She twisted, finally getting them to slip through and pulled the coat closed against the cold.

  Do I have everything?

  She turhe regur unication panel on, verifying that the entments were still charged with mana and shoved it into her coat pocket. She straightehe cover letter from the dean of the uy and stuffed it in the same pocket, and then picked up the shiny ptinum card embossed with the library insignia on one side, and several ented runes oher. Without her library card, she would not be able to eveer. At the touch of her fingers, the runes on the card activated, projeg a few glowing silvery lines of text and an image of herself into the air above it.

  Name: Aliandra Amariel.Race: Fae.Access: Research Assistant, Uncssed.

  She didn’t love the image they had recorded of her, but she was going to o repce the card when she affixed her Css anyway.

  Finally, her heart slowed to a more normal pace, and her breathing eased up. I’m going to make it, she thought. It would be close, but she would be on time. Elegantly crafted buildings whipped by oher side – Dal’mohra boasted some of the best stone- aal-mages on the ti, and the sheer wealth and power of the grand city was on dispy in every artifid stru. Thousands of magical vehicles and ptforms flowed through the spotless streets like lifeblood through arteries, invigorating all reaches of the city. Overhead, the bzing sor orbs hovered, powered by the giant mana densers a level below, radiating soft yellow light and warmth down upon the bustling city led in its deep underground cavern.

  The backdrop of chaotic busyness blended into a familiar symphony of order – that emergent sense of purpose woven from the fabric of the city. It was that pervasive and exhiratibeat, the very essence of Dal’mohra, which had always resonated so deeply with her.

  Mana Sense prickled just a fra of a sed before her unication panel vibrated in her pocket. She reached in and pulled it out.

  “Mom: Don’t fet dionight at my pce.”

  “Yes mom,” she sent.

  “Mom: I invited some of the Faculty. They will be excellent tacts when you’re looking for a job after you earn your Css. you stop by the bakery and pick up a cake for dessert?”

  “Sure.”

  Ali had been hoping for a quiet dinner with her mom and dad, a ce to catch up and maybe some private discussion about her options, but her mother was always trying to ‘look out for her future’ with pns and es. tacts aw. She probably shouldn’t have been all that surprised. But it roblem for ter.

  Her transport disk slowed aually slid to a halt at the entrao the grand pza, depositi the feet of the three kings – Artur Dragonsworn wielding his fming legendary sword, Bragni Doomhammer with his massive mithril Hammer of Justice, and Thaldorien Stormshaper with his pierg eyes focused on the distance, casting lightning from his outstretched fingers. All three were legends in their own time, and the kings of Dal’mohra, rendered far rger than life in geous marble embellished with expensive entments to depict their magical affihe three faced outward, watg over the residential district of Dal’mohra, and the artist had trived to grant them that far-off stare of heroes.

  Ali’s eyes lingered a little longer on the Elf-king, Thaldorien Stormshaper. A phenomenal archmage of incredible wisdom and knowledge. A man who, in his youth, had added the creation of the Grand Library Ara to his impressive list of achievements. She remembered him as a kindly Elf who had enced a-year-old Ali to follow her dreams to study magic. It had not occurred to her till many years ter that one of the kings visiting your mother was something remarkable.

  She stepped off her transport, releasing it bato the traffic. A sudden chill caught her, sending goosebumps running down the back of her arms. Quickly, she buttoned her coat a off to iate her way through the throngs of people gathered on the pza, trying to ighe delightful medley of aromas arising from the vendors with their colorful food carts.

  She struggled a little through the press of Dwarves, Elves, and Humans, all t over her. Students, researchers, and visitors dressed in outfits she could not even pce. But most of them moved when she called out, and she didn’t get stepped on, or tripped over this time. And when she finally emerged from the crowds, she beheld the magnifit edifice rising before her.

  The Grand Library Ara.

  It was the world’s preemi library, easily surpassing even the Sun Elves’ storied Library of Light at Aalion. There were more books here than anywhere iire realm, including an unmatched colle of the most advanced magical works and knowledge. More importantly, schors and sages journeyed from far and wide to study in these vaunted halls. The very air crackled with possibility, creativity, and the heady rush of inspiration as researchers fervently toiled to uhe secrets of the universe and the very nature of magic itself.

  This, more than anywhere in the vast and infinite expanse of the realms, was where she belonged.

  The t drical edifice of ented stone rose up from the ground, vanishing into the darkness – far above even the floating sor orbs. She k spahe full extent of Dal’mohra, from the bedrock three city levels below all the to the surface far above. Glowing runes circled the outside of the building, illuminating the relief sculpted murals upon the walls, and the immense doors of bck stoood open, invitio enter.

  Ever since she had begged her parents for a library card as a child, she had visited every ce she got. Every time, it took her breath away.

  She took a step forward, approag the hallowed chambers she ko be filled with hushed patrons seeking information, soft illumination, and the indefinable st of part, ink, and the weight of knowledge.

  Suddenly something huge and gleaming slithered out in front of her, blog her way. Looped in heavy muscur coils, his bronze-scaled serpent body shone in the magical light. Four powerful arms folded across his broad chest and a surprisingly human-like face looked down at her from more than three meters above. Minus the scales, of course. Double membranes blinked across his vertically slit reptilian eyes and a forked tongue flickered between razor-sharp fangs.

  “What is thisss? A Fae creature? Are you to be my sssnack?” His powerful voice resonated with an exaggerated sibint hissing uone. Four matg scimitars were worn across his back, their leather-bound grips poking out above his shoulders.

  “I have this,” she decred, brandishing her library card. “And I’m not afraid to use it!”

  “Oh no! The dreaded library card of legends!” he excimed. And then his mock-serious face cracked into a broad grin. “Hi Ali.”

  “Hi Armand, how’s the guard gig treating you?”

  “It’s awesome! I hit level seveerday!”

  “What? In only a month?” Ali trickled just a little mana into her Identify skill and directed it at the giant before her. A soft chime sounded in her mind and a short notification appeared.

  Warrior – Desert Naga – level ?

  Already I ’t identify his level, she thought, but she hid her frown, not wanting to take away from Armand’s excitemeher she o practice her skill more, or… I really o unlock my Css soon.

  “Yup, my mentor said I’m progressing really fast. Soon I’ll hit level ten and then you’ll see two marks instead of one!”

  “Is that when my all-powerful library card will stop w?” she asked.

  He chuckled happily. But then his voice grew serious, “She said she will take me on a dungeon run when I hit ten to level up faster.”

  “That’s… uh, great?” Ali said. Obviously, a bat css like his would o go delving or monster hunting, she khat, but the very idea still made her heart jump against her ribs and her breath hit her chest. “Be careful, please?” She was just gd she would never have to deal with something as scary as a dungeon.

  “I know, Ali. I will. And she said she will e with me and keep me safe,” Armand said, but then his smile returned. “When are you getting your Css?”

  “I just unlocked my primary css slot yesterday!” she said. She had been expeg it for a couple of months now but waking up to see that notification had filled her with such excitement. Probably she had annoyed her family with all the messages, but they had let her enjoy it. “Dad said he’ll unlock me as soon as I settle on a trial. A week. Two at the most.”

  “You going to unlock at your dad’s shri’s so cool he has that. Much respect to your family for its services for free.”

  “Yes, and thank you,” Ali said. She dearly loved the Grove with the shrine, and she had spent so much of her youth pying in her father’s forest, or lying uhe trees with a good book until the su and it grew too cold. But tely she had been so busy with studying to earn the Css she wahat she hadn’t had any time to go topside and visit him.

  “Well, good luck Ali. Professor Maeria Runeweaver arrived just a few minutes ago, and she’s probably waiting for you inside.”

  “Oh!” Ali’s eyes widened suddenly as Armand reminded her this wasn’t a social visit. “Chat ter!”

  “Seize the future, Ali,” Armand said, pressing his lower pair of hands together just below his heart and bowing his head as she rushed towards the yawning darkness of the giant arched doors and the dim light of the legendary library beyond.

  Despite the urgency driving her haste, she paused upohreshold and took a deep breath.

  Some things should not be rushed.

  Warm and dry air filled her lungs, teasing her nostrils with the st of part, a books, and the anticipation that had never diminished as she stood staring into the library. At her feet, thousands of purple runes glowed, a tiny segment of the a runic circle that wreathed the entire library in its profound entment. She reized a rune here and there – the simpler ones – from her studies. But the vast majority y far beyond her current abilities.

  Once I unlock my Css…

  For an instant, a chill breeze caught her, sending cold shivers and goosebumps down her ned back, but her coat was tightly buttoned and the actual air emanating from the library was warm as usual.

  What was that?

  But the sensation vanished, leaving her puzzled – and blog the doorway. And she would still be te if she stood here woolgathering.

  The feeling as she stepped across the runes and into the library was just as incredible as always. Arifying power rippled across her skin as if she had walked through a veil of pure energy. Her heart suddenly beat a little faster, the library grew lighter, colors deepened, and the familiar st of a books filled her nostrils as she breathed deeply.

  Aah, magic. She could never get tired of this feeling. Her Mana Sense did not react sly to ordinary magic, but the library’s runic circle was legendary grade magic, powered by the full output of two of the giant mana densers, and inscribed into the stone foundations using the most advanced rune magiown to the foremost schors and archmages. She had heard many of the professors at the uy – and the visiting schors too – describe it as one of the wonders of the modern world. Researchers and mages traveled across tis just to study in these halls.

  And one day, I will uand it. It was the promise she made to herself every time she stepped through this doorway. In the back of her mind, two soft chimes sounded, and two notifications appeared.

  You have ehe Grand Library Ara.

  All Learning and Knowledge magic is enhanced by 10%

  All the tension from the st half hour of frantic rushing drained away. Her head tilted back as she stared up at the s bookcases that lihe walls. Great circur shelves den with untable tomes lihe inner walls of the library, rising yer after yer until all she could see was the flickering light of the hundreds of clerks, librarians, assistants, and researchers darting about like fireflies in the air above.

  In the ter y the huge atrium, a yawning opening that led down to the lower library levels where the advanced magic texts were stored. Her eyes lingered longingly on the nding and the long spiral staircase ging to the edge of the atrium, teasing at the extraordinary knowledge that awaited mages who had achieved suffitly high css levels.

  Ali had never been down there – for an uncssed person like her, just being near many of those ented books would pose a mortal danger.

  Once I unlock my Css. She sighed, reiteratihought like a mantra. She was so close. Only a week or two more.

  “Aliandra Amariel?”

  The voice carried the formal, cultured overtones of someone more familiar with the high Elven speech favored in many academic circles. Oh which Ali was rather familiar. She turo find a tall blonde Sun-Elf woman sitting at a long table frowning at her over expensive-looking ptinum-rimmed gsses. Even at this distance, she could feel the entments and mana emanating from her. Holding back a little smile, she turned and answered in Elvish instead of the on nguage of Dal’mohra. “Yes, teacher.”

  Remembering to practice her Identify skill on high-level people, she used it as she stepped forward to hahe dean’s letter.

  Mage – Sun Elf – level ??

  “You’re te,” the Elven woman said, spicuously retaining the on nguage, rather than answering her in Elvish. “e joihers and we will get started.”

  Ali felt the flush rising all the way to the points of her ears, but she rushed over and took a seat at the table – one of the taller chairs beside the Gnome who was gring judgment daggers at her. Ali gnced around the table finding two Human women, one of which smiled at her and gave her a little wave, a male Dwarf, and a pair of Wood Elves that looked like twins: brother and sister. Everyone was dressed in expensive-looking robes, and she was suddenly grateful that her coat covered her far too casual t-shirt and shorts.

  “Now that we’re all here, my name is Maeria Runeweaver. Professor of Runic Magic at the Uy of Dal’mohra, and Head of Magical Research at the Grand Library Ara. Thank you for your i in the academid schor path, both the library and the uy are always in need of magical researchers, assistants, librarians, and non-bat mages. So, if you unloy css in one of these domains, you will be in good hands. I will be responsible for your Css Trials. In order to create the proper challenges so that you earn the correct experieraits, I will o know what sorts of csses you’re each studying for or hoping to unlock.”

  “Why don’t we begin with you, Dimble?” Maeria asked, gesturing toward the Gnome Ali was sitting beside.

  “Sure, Professor Runeweaver,” he said, bobbing his head. “I’m Dimble Bollywoggle, and I’m hoping for an engineering css. I wish to specialize in magical power couplings and my dream job is to work on improving the formations for the mana verters.” Dimble stuck his out and gnced aska Ali.

  What’s his problem? she thought, deg she didn’t like him much.

  Maeria raised an eyebrow. “I assume that you’re here instead of the engineering guild because you want to focus more on research than practical applications?”

  “Yes,” he answered, his head bobbing up and down so quickly Ali worried it might e loose.

  “Very well,” she said, jotting something down. “I will o talk with the engineering guild regardless, I’m not as familiar with what would stitute a good trial for you.”

  “What about you, Ilorna?” Maeria asked, looking at the Wood Elf twin sister.

  “Librarian, miss,” she said, bowing her head.

  “Very good.”

  “And you, Celkor?”

  “Archivist,” her brother answered. “Or Librarian would do, too. I want to study Elven social and cultural anthropology.”

  “How about we try for both of those, and add Historian to your list? That way when you use Mr. Amariel’s shrine you’re certain to get at least one of them. If you unlock all of them, you just pick your favorite?”

  “Yes, Professor Runeweaver,” Celkor said, his tone formal but his face betrayed substantial excitement.

  Ali got a couple of surprised looks from around the table as the more observant students put two-and-two together eg her family o her father’s shrine.

  “Aliandra?” Maeria asked, still finishing up her aking.

  “Rune Sage,” she said, the words just spilling out of her mouth before she could catch them.

  “You’re aware that’s a rare css?” Maeria said, looking at her over the tops of her gsses.

  “Yes, Professor,” she answered. Whatever had possessed her to just blurt that out like that? “I meant to say, I’m ied in magical research, particurly runic magid formations. Rune Sage is my dream css, but I would be happy with Are or Runic Schor or some simir on css to start with.”

  “That seems more appropriate,” Maeria said. “What makes you think you could get a rare css like that right at the start? People must work to grow their skills and evolve their csses.”

  That was the proper official position. Rare csses were just that – rare. Very rare. Starting with a rare css was nigh impossible, and Ali khat. It had been drilled into her from the start by every sieacher, instructor, and professor. Hard work was aid off and grew a Css into something more. But… Is it so bad to dream?

  “I have a nature and are affinity already, and two trip spells as general skills. I create all the foundational are runes, and most of the nature ones. Obviously, I ’t imbue them with ma…” her words trailed off as she realized everyone was staring at her.

  “So unfair,” Dimble muttered. “How does she have an affinity already?”

  “Be nice, Dimble,” Maeria said. “The Fae are a magical race, they sometimes unlock affinities and spells before their Css. They have real disadvahat you don’t have to worry about too.” And then Maeria turard Ali for a long moment. “So, you are Elowynn Amariel’s daughter?”

  Ali nodded.

  “Would you mind showing me yic?”

  “Uh… ok,” she answered. She hadn’t expected to have to do a demonstration, but she didn’t mind. She never minded using her magic – even as weak as it was. She frowned a little as she saw Dimble staring, but she trickled a little of her mana into her Are trip skill. Warmth surged from her heart, flowing smoothly through her chest and down her arm to emerge before her outstretched fingers as a growing spark of shining golden energy. She ighe sharp intake of breath from across the table and just focused on direg her magic, sculpting it in the air with her mind until she had formed the first rune her mother had taught her: the foundational are power rune.

  “It’s gold…” someone whispered.

  It hung there, floating in the air, a struct of pure mana. It sparkled. It was a silly thing, a childish vanity perhaps, but she had always loved that her are mana matched her amber eyes, while her nature mana matched her hair.

  “Excellent,” Maeria said. “You said you have two spells?”

  “The other one is a nature affinity trip that lets me influehe growth of pnts,” she said. Almost certainly she had ied that affinity from her father. However, it had been Aunt Lira and the Dryadisight of her tree that had inspired Ali to take her first steps along the path of nature magic. She mostly just used it to ence the wildflowers in the Grove to bloom, but tely she had been limited to using it oted pnts in her apartment.

  “We take a look at that oer. Perhaps aiming for an advanced rune magic css is not such a bad idea for you,” Maeria said, pausing momentarily in thought, and then making some rapid notes. “My book, Advanced Csses for the Runic Schor, is up ohird row, four across. You’re a Fae, why don’t you zip up there a quickly? Look for the white book with purple runes on the spine.”

  Maeria’s words hit like a sudden gut-punch. Blood drained from Ali’s face while the voices and lights faded to a dull background roar. She gasped as everyoared at her, curling up inside herself, desperately wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

  “What’s wrong?” Maeria, asked, suddenly looking up. “It’s just up there.” She poio the bookshelf that hung more than fifteeers above them.

  It might as well have been on another p.

  “I ’t fly,” Ali whispered, the words barely leaving her lips before she tried to swallow them back. But the tiny sound of her voice was a bell alerting everyoo her shame. Her stubby golden wings had never developed properly. Now they jutted out from the back of her coat, a painful remihat what should have been a beautiful hallmark of her race was instead a bea for childhood bullies and ter, adult pity.

  Maeria Runeweaver gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. “I… I am so sorry,” she said. “Aliandra, please, I didn’t mean…”

  She seemed to be in such distress that it shocked Ali right out of her own dark emotional pit. “It’s ok… you didn’t know,” she managed.

  “I’m really sorry, Aliandra,” Maeria said, clearly trying to collect herself. “Here, let me get it for you. I still want you to read it.”

  Ali’s Mana Sense prickled with an invigorating energy that suddenly rushed through her like a fresh warm breeze. Purple runes flickered ience around Maeria’s hand and something barely visible shot out toward the shelf far above. A white book with purple runiscriptioracted itself from among its peers and flew back down to alight upoable before Ali.

  Ali blinked in astonishment at the casual use of runic magic.

  “Telekinesis via runic casting,” Maeria said, a peace of a sort. “One of the bes of the Css you so desire.”

  “That was beautiful,” Ali said, her body still trembling from her slowly fadiional overload. She’s a Rune Sage? She gnced down at the white book before her, bearing Maeria Runeweaver’s name.

  “Why don’t you start reading that while I finish with everyone else?”

  Ali nodded, grateful for the distra, and opehe cover while Maeria worked her way through the rest of the hopefuls sitting around the table. Each chapter covered a css, including expected css skills, dires frowth, known requirements for unlog it, and generally everything someone like Maeria may need in order to help her with her pre-css trial. on csses such as Runic Schor he front of the book had detailed information, drawn from the research of thousands of people, but as she approached the less on csses he end of the book, the tent grew progressively more specutive.

  She turhe page and froze as her eyes drank in the words that leapt from the page.

  Runic Sage. Rare. At the time of writing, the author is aware of only eleven css-holders and was only able to secure six for study. A powerful non-bat, are-affinity magic css focused heavily oive application and research of runic magid formations. It appears to be based on a strong foundation of Intelligend the Knowledge trait. Known skills include Runiations, Rune Casting, Inscription, Runic Script, Craft Runic Artifact, Runic Circle, Mana Circuit prehension, and various forms of mental haste or knowledge enha buffs. Broader are affinity reted skills such as Mana Sight, Flying, or various forms of Teleportation have also been observed.

  Requirements: Unknown. At the very least, a strong affinity for are magid uanding of runes has always bee before unlog the css, but there are too feles to draw any further clusions.

  All her life Ali had been aware that her mother and father were quite well regarded in Dal’mohra, but it was only when she had started at the uy that she had truly begun to appreciate the sheer importance of her mother’s research. While she would be uo aspire to her mother’s unique Css, Rune Sage would at least allow her to take her first steps down that path.

  Before diving into the details id out before her, Ali flickered a little mana into her Are trip. One golden rune appeared h around her hand as she g fervently to the intricate image of Maeria Runeweaver’s telekinesis spell. More mana, and a sed rune appeared. She bit her lip, her brow furrowed in tration, and forced a little more mana into her skill. A golden blob appeared. She willed it into shape, but it wobbled precariously in the air, refusing to ply. She focused all her will on it, f it into shape, but as she did, the other two runes popped, falling to the table as golden glitter.

  With the crazy emotional rollercoaster her day had bee, what should have been a minor setback caused her throat to close up, and she blinked away sudden moisture in her eyes.

  “That retty good effort, Aliandra,” Maeria said. “Don’t give up, that’s a fantastic way to work toward your css.”

  She was about to answer, but at that very moment, a deathly chill washed over her. Her body froze, and it was as if she stood on the precipice of her own suddenly opened grave. She gasped at the sudden ominous premonition.

  “Did… you feel… that?” she managed.

  “What?”

  Suddenly a heavy thump echoed up from the bottom of the atrium and the entire building shuddered.

  Gasps sounded from the table, and a distant scream rose from a level below. Wide eyes stared at each other unprehendingly.

  And then the lights went out.

  Another scream. This one, far closer.

  Glowing red orbs popped ience floating all through the library, casting it in a straerrifying light. And then a siren began wailing and an ented voice echoed through the library.

  “Alert. Dal’mohra is utack. Return to your homes and shelter ihe Guard is deployed, and the barrier domes are active. Do not panic.”

  Ahump shook the library, jarring the stone underfoot and knog books from their high shelves.

  “Let’s all not panic,” Maeria said. But her wide eyes and shallow breathing were anything but reassuring.

  And then the cold sepulchral pressure suddenly spiked as the air behind the Professor ripped like an invisible knife had sshed downward through the fabric of reality.

  Before Ali could even move, a half a meter of darkly gleaming steel suddenly burst out from the front of Maeria Runeweaver’s chest. The front of her robe suddenly turned red as her eyes widened in shock. Her throat worked ohen twice, but the only sound that emerged was a sug gurgle. Blood spilled from her lips, and her eyes rolled ba her head as she slowly slid forward, slumping to the ground.

  The skeleton behiepped on her back, and drew the sword out, and then turhe glowing red pinpriana burning in its eye sockets upon her.

  Ali screamed.