Lyonfort's library was enormous, with high vaulted ceilings, wide windows that let in the moonlight but did little to dispel the shadows that filled the halls and massive bookshelves, and floors covered with thick red carpets. The place looked like a museum, where history had long ago been preserved for posterity.
The librarians were all women, most of them witches in old black Victorian dresses and white collars and cuffs. Their hair was messy, curly and black.
"Zeth Rahman, nice to see you again, with clothes on this time," said a little witch, but she didn't look like the rest. She was so different compared to others, she was not dark nor Goth, and didn't look like a master of the dark arts at first sight.
Maybe she was a Wicca?
She was dressed in robes and regalia. A white chestplate with angular faulds extended into an ankle-length skirt. She was wearing elbow-length pink fingerless gloves, white trousers and pink thigh-high boots, and an intricate pink tiara with a pentagram at the centre and two long goat horns protruding from it. She had a sweet appearance, cute cheeks and pink eyes, and voluminous hair of the same colour, but why did she say that it was good to see Zeth with clothes on?
"And you are?" Jade got jealous immediately.
"She is Baphelise Niggurath, daughter of the Shub-Witch Bapheline Niggurath." Zeth explained, "Her mother was born in Harez's Walled City, and was the Shub-Witch who turned Queen Zafira Rahman into a Golden Heart... And me too."
"It is a shame that the walled city is now under the boiling waters of the Volcanic Sea." Baphelise said with a sad face that soon turned a bit mad in the crazy sense, "Oh well! Jade, I knew you would come," the girl said in her sweet, melodic voice, so sweet Jade almost got diabetes. "After so many years you have returned, and I see that my magic is still there."
"Do I know you?" Jade cocked her head.
The little witch smiled and giggled.
"You don't know me! But I know you." She offered her hand for Jade to shake.
"It's okay," Zeth told Jade, who shook the pink girl's hand hesitantly. She had many rings around her fingers.
"You can call me Elise," The little witch said, and Jade nodded, "Zeth came for answers, and so did you."
"How do you know that?" Jade raised an eyebrow.
"I am a witch, the only one who knows how to use all forms of dark magic, a true mistress of darkness," Elise said smiling, "My mother gave birth to me thousands of years ago, I began as a dark shadow that used its claws to get out of my mother's womb in unbearable agony during a cold night. I am the embodiment of evil and darkness, and in time, I was able to shape my ethereal form, and I began to learn more and more dark magic until I became who you see now," She said with a bright smile. "And I'm also the one who taught Zeth everything he knows about the forbidden magic that keeps him alive."
"OOOOOkay, that makes sense," Jade said awkwardly, still holding Elise's hand. It was really soft and warm. "Excuse me for asking, but have you seen Zeth without clothes before?"
"Oh yeah!" Elise nodded, eyeing Zeth up and down. "That was long before Evie met him anyway." Elise dismissed with a hand and a laugh.
"Elise gave Draco and I magical vasectomies, you don't want the details," Zeth rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from Jade.
"No, I don't..."
"Elise, I guess you already knew I was going to talk to you soon," Zeth said and she nodded.
"Why do you think I came to the library? I knew you needed me and I decided to act quickly. Is it about Paul?"
"Partly, yes. How likely is a perception and reality alteration spell?" Zeth asked.
"Hard, but not for me. It will take a few hours but you'll have what you need before the show at the Hallow Inn."
"And how much will you charge me for it?" Zeth raised an eyebrow.
"Your soul would suffice, but since that's not possible... Shall we negotiate with money?"
"I guess," Zeth said, "Also, I know a spell to look human takes time and we don't have much right now. We're using makeup and hair dye today, but Elise, I need one of those for my band, and Paul's. Do you think we can meet tonight after the concert for that?"
"Sure!" Elise said, "And yes, I also know you're here because of the letters Zedrick brought. I'll show them to you right away."
"Ejem... You say you have some answers for me?" Jade glanced at Elise.
"The table with the floating candelabra is waiting for you, at the centre of the library. Check that while Zeth and I talk about business," Elise said, snapping her fingers.
Jade got dizzy, but in the blink of an eye, she was inside a hexagon of bookshelves, holding onto a table with both hands.
"Woah! Did I just... Teleport?" Jade looked around. In the centre of the hexagon was a table, with a floating candelabra indeed, and a huge black book.
She walked closer, sitting cross legged.
"Answers, huh?" Jade said quietly, taking the book off the table. It was ancient, it smelled of dust and age. Its cover was black with golden letters, and it had many strange symbols that soon formed ordinary letters...
The Book by Baphelise Niggurath
"So deep," Jade said. The book then jumped out of her hands, and opened up on its own, turning pages, one after another, until it stopped, "Oookay, creepy." She then began to read the two pages of the open book.
"Mother Alycia?" Jade read. "Duchess Alycia was the sister of Duke Alycandro Alfaro. Alycia Alfaro ventured into a nearby forest to the northwest to try to expand Moonfall. However, she came across The Apple Tree, which began talking to her. She dubbed it: Azathor." Jade looked at the map in the book, cocking her head, "Wait, if this is Moonfall, and Alycia ventured into a forest to the northwest... The point on this map is Franken's Town!" Jade gasped, "If Franken's Town is the neighbouring town of Hallow Woods..." She moved a finger on the map towards the east. There wasn't much around here, but it was certainly Hallow Woods. "Oh Jesus! Hallow Woods and Franken's Town are north of Moonfall! Evalon has always been in front of us and we never realised!"
Jade's brain was racing a mile a minute, and she continued reading the book.
Apparently, Alycia took a bite of an apple and discovered a dark being that could turn Lycans into immortal wolves. Alycia gifted apples to several villagers and lords of Moonfall, and proclaimed herself a prophet of Azathor, giving sermons at the local church about the God Azathor that would emerge from the earth to destroy Evalon and would only forgive its followers.
The villagers and lords of Moonfall quickly abandoned their previous faith in The Three Goddesses and converted to her new pagan cult, henceforth addressing Alycia as Mother Alycia, who conducted research on the apples and began experimenting with the common folk to forge a perfect vessel for Azathor's consciousness.
The best candidates to be Azathor's vessel acquired immortality and regenerative abilities like Alycia's, these being Lords and Ladies: Ralphael, Delton, Gamaliel and Alycandra Betancourt who were all children of Beth Alfaro. Albeto Beta-Alfaro who was the bastard brother of Alycandro and Alycia. Sigmund Lonewolf who was Alycandro's blacksmith. All of them except Alycandra died during the Fall of Moonfall during the Zeldrich War.
Jade frowned.
"Yes, yes, all this is very interesting but none of this is about me!"
Still, Jade continued reading.
The vast majority of the test subjects failed, either dying outright or becoming Felinos. These Felinos were then cast out of Moonfall by Mother Alycia and they ended up making their den in the ruins of an abandoned fort in Catalos known as...
"Lyonfort?! Oh God!" Jade covered her mouth, analysing the map of Evalon, finding Lyonfort northeast of Hallow Woods. "But what the hell does this have to do with me?!"
"Jade, I have bad news," Zeth said, with his phone in one hand and a letter in the other, "There are more than a dozen letters here, all sent by the King of Evalon, and they even bear the royal seal of House Rahman."
He gave the letter to Jade, and she read it quickly, although it took her a little work to understand the cursive handwriting.
Kind regards from King Zamon Rahman, first of his name, King of Evalon.
This is a cordial invitation to Lord Commander Zeth Rahman, Marquess Draco Von Stroker and their multispecies allies to come to Evalon to serve your king in the task of uniting the Human Lands and Evalon as one great empire, this is in an effort to put an end to a threat that does not yet exist but was warned by Goddess Rahmana in a prophetic dream. As a reward, we plan to grant you forgiveness, wealth, your own castle, royal titles and a peaceful return to Evalon as ambassadors of the King.
We look forward to your prompt response and visit.
"It seems to me The King of Evalon wants to see us," Zeth said and Jade nodded.
"And you think this king... Zamon..." Jade began and Zeth got a bit uncomfortable at the mention of that name, "Do you think he sent Hunters to forcibly take you back?"
"He doesn't sound like the kind of king who would do something like that," Zeth said, with a finger on his chin, "But all letters say the same, even the ones sent to the school and the hotel. I think the King didn't know where we were exactly, but he must have assumed that I would come to one of these castles. I have a history with all these places."
"We'll have to investigate after the concert," Jade said, checking the time on her phone, "We'll leave in ten minutes."
"It's good we're close to the Main Gate," Zeth said, looking up. Elise was watching them with her hands on her cheeks and her elbows on the railing of an upper balcony, "If we have to return to Evalon, we'll need Elise to open the hex keeping Guardian Fort hidden and impenetrable."
"When were you going to tell me that Evalon is south of Hallow Woods?" Jade asked, but Zeth just shook his head, "I see. You will always be a man of many secrets."
"Come on, I'll guide you out of here," Zeth said, but she shook her head when he offered her a hand.
"I'll follow you, I don't need to hold your hand, I'm not a child, and neither am I your girlfriend," Jade said, slamming the book shut.