Trouble Kelp
Loyal Servant of Altera
On one dark and stormy night...there stands a lone lighthouse guarding the southern crags. A black horse rides towards it, the rider on its back bent lo to avoid the freezing rain and howling wind. Looking up, he smiles at the lighthouse...almost as if he can feel the life inside.
"Snowy? Could you fly over here for a moment?"
Anders waved his hand towards his pet owl, enticing it to draw near. The bird was hesitant at first, but drew closer when Anders held out a piece of salted meat. Darting forward, Snowy picked the meat out of Anders's hand and flew off into the rafters. Anders sighed and slumped back down into his chair, flipping over the page in his book.
"Oh well. One can expect little else out of a live bird. They are very pretty, but I prefer them stuffed."
Laughing at his own little joke, Anders began to read the novel again. Laughing at a funny part, Anders was startled by a loud boom of thunder. Regaining his composure, he also heard a knocking at the door.
"I wonder who that could be?"
Anders quietly closed his book and strolled down the stairs. Arriving at the bottom, he smoothed out his uniform and opened the door. Standing there was a man of average height with back hair, blue eyes, and a long cloak around him that was soaking wet. Looking closer, Anders could see something a little off in his eyes....like he was not quite in the world.
"Yes? Who are you?"
The stranger blinked a few times, then strode in. He smiled oddly, then drew back his hood.
"You can call me Marcus Groothart. Is this the library?"
Anders looked slightly miffed by the statement, then proceeded to settle into lecture mode.
"Well then, Sir Marcus Groothart, this is indeed a library, though it might not be the one you're looking for. There happen to be several other libraries within this stretch of coastline. I could offer you directions to one of them...get you on your way..."
Marcus just grunted, then he strode up the stairs. Sighing heavily, Anders followed behind him.
"Listen, if you can tell me what you want, I'm sure I could oblige you and you could be on your way.."
Stopping, Marcus turned around and grinned again. Striding in close to Anders, he grasped his shoulder and pulled him in close.
"I'm looking for a book"
"And what book would that be?" Anders questioned.
Marcus laughed and pulled Anders a little closer, whispering in his ear.
"The Domia Tera."
Anders mouth formed a shocked O, that expanded into a grimace of pain as Marcus thrust a knife into his ribs. Gasping for air, he fell to the floor. Marcus just laughed, then strode over his limp body.
"Don't overwork yourself, I can find it."
Rummaging among the shelves, Marcus picked out one book. It's spine was back as night, and strange symbols adorned it's surface.
"Well, looky what we have here."
"Snowy? Could you fly over here for a moment?"
Anders waved his hand towards his pet owl, enticing it to draw near. The bird was hesitant at first, but drew closer when Anders held out a piece of salted meat. Darting forward, Snowy picked the meat out of Anders's hand and flew off into the rafters. Anders sighed and slumped back down into his chair, flipping over the page in his book.
"Oh well. One can expect little else out of a live bird. They are very pretty, but I prefer them stuffed."
Laughing at his own little joke, Anders began to read the novel again. Laughing at a funny part, Anders was startled by a loud boom of thunder. Regaining his composure, he also heard a knocking at the door.
"I wonder who that could be?"
Anders quietly closed his book and strolled down the stairs. Arriving at the bottom, he smoothed out his uniform and opened the door. Standing there was a man of average height with back hair, blue eyes, and a long cloak around him that was soaking wet. Looking closer, Anders could see something a little off in his eyes....like he was not quite in the world.
"Yes? Who are you?"
The stranger blinked a few times, then strode in. He smiled oddly, then drew back his hood.
"You can call me Marcus Groothart. Is this the library?"
Anders looked slightly miffed by the statement, then proceeded to settle into lecture mode.
"Well then, Sir Marcus Groothart, this is indeed a library, though it might not be the one you're looking for. There happen to be several other libraries within this stretch of coastline. I could offer you directions to one of them...get you on your way..."
Marcus just grunted, then he strode up the stairs. Sighing heavily, Anders followed behind him.
"Listen, if you can tell me what you want, I'm sure I could oblige you and you could be on your way.."
Stopping, Marcus turned around and grinned again. Striding in close to Anders, he grasped his shoulder and pulled him in close.
"I'm looking for a book"
"And what book would that be?" Anders questioned.
Marcus laughed and pulled Anders a little closer, whispering in his ear.
"The Domia Tera."
Anders mouth formed a shocked O, that expanded into a grimace of pain as Marcus thrust a knife into his ribs. Gasping for air, he fell to the floor. Marcus just laughed, then strode over his limp body.
"Don't overwork yourself, I can find it."
Rummaging among the shelves, Marcus picked out one book. It's spine was back as night, and strange symbols adorned it's surface.
"Well, looky what we have here."