Feris was not used to wearing the skin of a male, it made her feel itchy and she was acutely aware of how heavy her footsteps were. It felt akin to someone wearing clothes a size too large for them.
“Do you remember the plan?” Gerith asked. He was currently using the identity of a young female wanderer by the name of Sarah Taro. She contemplated asking him to switch with her, but it was too late now. He was already working on opening the Way into the Library.
“I remember.” she responded curtly, her knuckles rapping idly against the wooden post she was leaning against.
“Then repeat it back to me,” Gerith said, throwing a glare back her way. She hated that part of him, always so strict and disciplined.
“We get in, grab the tomes the High Archivist needs, then get out,” she answered, taking a step closer to take a peek at his work. “You almost done?”
“Done.” Just as he said this, a blue shimmer appeared before them in the air. It wasn’t the first time she saw a newly opened Way, but it still left her in awe. She could feel the raw energy emanating from it, as well as the sense that it could send them anywhere to any time.
“Alright. Let’s go over our roles again,” Gerith said as he rose to his feet. “You’re Henry Esters and I’m Sarah Taro. We’re both wanderers that are often seen together and today we’re just taking a look around. Don’t talk to anybody unless they talk to you first and-”
She cut him off as she took a step towards the blue shimmer that lay before them. “I got it, Henry. Don’t start trouble and don’t attract attention. This isn’t my first time.”
He simply nodded at her as he too stepped forward, a few inches away from the shimmer now. “Then let’s go.”
They both walked forward and immediately she could feel the Way take effect. It was a feeling one would never get used to. There was immense heat, then immense cold. The feeling of the soul being stretched then squished. Then, it was all over. They now stood in the Library, or more aptly, the Agriculture section. Both froze in their tracks and stared in awe at the insurmountable amount of texts that surrounded them.
“It’s beautiful,” was all that Feris could manage to say, her hand wandering to a large scroll nearby. However, before she could touch its alluring cover she was stopped by Gerith.
“Beautiful, but corrupted. Remember, this is just a copy,” Gerith said as he surveyed their surroundings.
She nodded, retracting her hand away from the ancient scroll. “Yes, I can feel it. This isn’t the true Library, no matter how similar they try to make it look.”
Still holding her hand, Gerith began to lead her through the twisting and narrow alleys. Occasionally, she’d catch a glimpse of a wanderer either searching the towering shelves or sitting in a chair, engrossed in a piece of literature. Eventually, they reached a section i nthe far back corner of the Library, only a few floating candles spread out every dozen or so feet.
“Is this where they are?” she asked, looking over the shelves nearby. Unfortunately, there were no markings depicting what each shelf contained.
“They should be around her, I thin-” Gerith stopped his sentence short as a looming figure stepped around the corner. It was one of the beings they least wanted to see at the moment, a “Docent.” It turned it’s hazy eyes towards them, lifting the lantern to get a better look at the pair. It simply stood there for a few more moments before a hatch on the lantern suddenly opened, some of the flame sliding out and into the air to form letters.
“Looking for something specific?” it asked.
“No, we’re fine. Just browsing.” Gerith said with a confident smile and a tone of amicable joviality. He was laying it on a bit thick, but Feris doubted the Docent would notice.
The Docent simply nodded, lowering the lantern back down to his side. He turned away and started to slowly walk back down the aisle he had come from. When they finally couldn’t see his back anymore, Gerith let out an exhausted sigh. “Hate talking to those…things.”
She knew exactly what he meant. Talking to a Docent was like speaking with a corpse, there was no life to them. They started to rummage through the books that littered the small corner of the Library in search of the three tomes they needed. Surprisingly, it didn’t take them too long to find all three, which had been grouped together rather nicely.
“Now, let’s get back to the Way,” Gerith said, turning back to the way they had come. However, it was then that a sickly and hoarse voice sounded off from just above them.
“Leaving the Library without checking out is a…punishable…offense.”
Turning their attention upwards, Feris’s eyes went wide in horror at what had been observing them. It was a Page, dangling from a long rope that stretched upwards into the darkness above. It was like a human and spider hybrid, except with only the most terrible aspects of both. She felt her muscles tense up in terorr and found that she could no longer move, her gaze locked onto the horrifying creature above them. Gerith lunged forward and pushed her towards the hallway where they had came. “Run!” was all he managed to say before the Page dropped down on top of him, wrapping it’s spindly arms around his chest. Just as quickly as it had plummeted, it ascended, pulling her comrade into the void above.
She ran for what felt like an eternity, a great skittering above her never far behind. Finally, she saw the looming sign that stated “Agriculture Section” just ahead of her. For a fleeting moment there was hope, despite the loss of her comrade and the tomes. Then, as quickly as that sense of hope came, it vanished as she felt chains wrap around her arms and legs. She stood there for a moment, desperately pushing forward despite them digging deeply into her flesh. The disguise began to melt away where they touched and revealed her true form, a pure white and featureless humanoid. The strength behind the chains increased and as they pulled her upwards into the darkness, all she could do was scream.