Private Tales The Loss of Innocence

[Douglas Haley]

A fire glowing in the dark, huddled around it a few men with more stories and scars than any nobility ever saw. Their words hung heavy on the thick, humid air, exhanging tales of far off lands and distant conquests; from women to treasure, yet each held a certain hope in their mind of a fortune they have yet to meet. The hopeful dream of every young soul, every red blooded mortal in the lands of Arethil; that to live as the rich, to live without worry or want, to have all that they desired for their sake. Yet most would never see such a life, never witness what was to be.

Just outside the rolling tide of light from the central firepit laid Douglas Haley, wrapped in a burlap blanket, eyes closed yet moving beneath the eyelids in rapid and unpredictable patterns. In his mind, the transgressions of his own dream, but unlike those he traveled with, they were but nightmares of a life they had all hoped to see; one he had seen, and forsaken.

---

“And the book, it holds a cypher?”, Agron asked the boy, his cold gaze piercing his composure.

“Yes, Master. The lich known as Rundal told me you might know what it says, that its encryption was Kavoshian. I-”

“Its a dead language, Douglas, why didn’t you demand more from him?”

Douglas seemed to stammer as he looked for an answer on the table, only to croak up what meager blame he could;

“Master Telemachus, the one I was with, told him it was fine to leave, I simply assumed-”

“You simply assumed wrong, Douglas. Your lack of foresight has cost us something great.”, Agron said with a weighty disappointment. Turning his back to the young mage, Douglas simply scoured his Master’s form for some sort of guidance, but found none as he simply nodded.

With careful hands, he lifted the aging book and moved for the doorway, knowing full and well Agron wouldn’t let him live this down for some time.​

 

[Douglas Haley]

The night had been long, candle light Douglas’s only guidance as he desperately moved through coding techniques, checking between this cypher and that colonial language book; all in the hopes of distinguishing what the words meant. Kavoshian had similarities to some of the oldest languages in existence, yet its written dialogue was expressively harder. Swaying fonts and nearly impossible calligraphy made translation even harder; yet Douglas persisted.

Persisted until the rasping knock came upon his door, dragging his attention from the scholarly work at his desk to something more immediate. The aging words of an older man came through the wood slats;

“Elbion Merchant Guard, open up!”

Why would the guard come to Douglas’s door, and especially so late in the night? An unease crept into his demeanor as he moved forward, carefully opening the door with the smallest inkling of hesitation. There was a small moment that he caught a glimpse behind the door, where not just one man stood, but well over six; two with man catchers, another three with magic nullifying metal shields, and every single man among them a stalwart, determined expression gilded in anger.

Before the door opened completely, Douglas was met with the harsh bootheel that sent him off kilter. With a solid thud of his weight against the apartment floor, each of the men rushed in, surrounding the young mage before the magical restraint man catcher went on; almost instantly nullifying his ability to touch the outside elements. With a hoarse cry of pain, the guards lifted him up and towards the door.

“Why are you arresting me? What have I done?”, he whimpered out as he moved with the group.

“The Merchant Council has reason to believe you are guilty of high treason; and a sentence will be carried out in the coming weeks.”

Douglas grunted as if to protest before going silent, the already harsh treatment by the guards nothing to ignore now. The more he talked, the more they would punish his transgression; so he decided it was best to save his peace for the trial.​

 

[Douglas Haley]

The room was cold, many dozens of the richest members of Elbion looking on the two on trial with calculating, judgemental stares. Before them stood two Kavoshians, two of the most dangerous mortals to walk the land off premise alone; Agron Salim, The Plague Doctor of Vel Anir, and Douglas Haley, his astute pupil.

Agron’s gaze was dedicated, forward, and unrelenting. His meer expression seemed to challenge everyone in the room, and eye contact couldn’t be maintained by any but the council of judges themselves. His magical restraints carried a near constant glow, burning off what power he drew on passively with an exceptional efficiency.

Douglas Haley however looked downwards, fear riddling his form. He had no recollection of treason, nor did he understand what was meant by these accusations. Was he to be executed for a crime he did not commit? One he had nothing to do with? He felt alone, as Agron said nothing to boy to comfort him, leaving him to suffer the isolation of a trial.

“Agron Salim and Douglas Haley, both of you have been indicated in a plot to upheave the order of rule here in our fair city. What have you to plea?”, the eldest, center judge asked the two.

Agron spoke first, “Not guilty.”

Douglas followed meekly, “Not guilty.”

“They have claimed no guilt in the crimes. Let us proceed.”

And so the efforts of the court went on for many hours, opening the eyes of all those involved to the many crimes committed. Murder, bribery, stealing, conspiracy, and more; all for the sake of power unending as the final say in all that was Elbion politics. The only trouble was that Douglas knew nothing of these, or at least their purpose. The stealing, the murders, he had committed many on the orders of Agron himself, yet it was told to him to be the orders of the Council themselves, of Eimur Emisol his trusted reference.

And yet, he couldn’t believe his ears. The lies and slander he had assumed to be wrought against them held more weight than he could believe, and it was only then he realized he had been tasked to kill innocents. His gaze wandered to Agron, who held his own forward; the distance between them growing by the moment. Cintria had been framed for much, and yet the internal bureau had seen past the idealized claims, and found their source in Agron himself.

At the end of it all, the Judges came to a unanimous decision of guilt. The two would be executed the coming fortnight, and to make the prayers they held to the gods they wished. Where Agron kept quiet, Douglas offered little more than a weep.​

 

[Douglas Haley]

The moon hung heavy in the nightsky, casting doubt through the bars of Douglas’s cell. Around his neck still sit the meridian necklace, constantly disrupting and venting the magical connection he held around him. It was a ruthless fix, that which was able to pull from a mage everything they had with little more than the snap of a lock. Even still, it wasn’t the focus of his inner monologue in those moments.

His mind wandered from thought to thought, but they always came back to Agron and his betrayal. Why hadn’t he asked him of his participation, let him know what the conspiracy was about? Gods above he might have aligned himself willingly, and yet he gave him no choice. No choice to change course and ensure innocence, but used him as a pawn in his grand scheme. These came back, further and further, realizing moment by moment that Agron had always used him.

The brutal thoughts of the experimentation he had undergone as a child came back, the tattoo on his neck to drain him of his potential, and so many more things. What had Agron expected of the boy? Why had he always been so cold and harsh, only to let him be executed by the guards of Elbion? Did any of it even matter now?

Thoughts came quick and cold, forcing him deeper in a central understanding that he meant nothing to Agron and Eimur, and he would die alone and cold in the Merchant Guard’s Dungeon.

The soft crack of something in the distance broke him of this idea however, as a struggle seemed to ensue somewhere outside his range of sight. Standing up from his sulk, he moved to the bars and tried to see past, but only the edges of a torch on the ground were visible. That was until a shadow moved to pick it up, and a familiar sight came into view.

“Stand back boy.”, Agron demanded, wrapped in little more than a burlap suit. No different than Douglas’s own, and yet he held no collar.

Douglas did what he demanded out of habit, and Agron unlocked the door to his cell before he motioned Douglas from his captivity. Instead, Douglas ripped through the air with a satisfying smack of his fist against the Master’s jaw. Agron shuttered, taking a few steps back before growling and looking to his pale eyed student.

“Don’t. Touch me. Again.”, he said in a threatening tone.

“Why?”, Douglas stammered out, “Why did you do this to me?”

His voice welled up at he demanded an answer, but an answer would not come. Agron simply shook his head and motioned to the collar;

“Want it off? Then come here.”

Douglas hesistated, but eventually fell in line. As much as he wanted to disobey, he knew freedom was in the key Agron held, so he let him work his magic. As he let loose the complicated lock, he spoke quietly to Douglas;

“If you want the truth, find my journal. Maybe someday, you can ask me better questions in person.”

And with that, Agron walked to nearest window, and seemed to fade from existence. Douglas could offer nothing, demand no answers as his Master turned to darkness and slipped between the bars. A question for another day, and a journal he would have to find.​

 

[Douglas Haley]

As word spread around the city that the two had escaped, Douglas knew only one concern, and that was getting back what was lost. His apartment and Agron’s estate had been taken, dispersed amongst the corrupt upper levels of Elbion’s trade society. Douglas was no fool, and understood that the books he had collected were scattered now, but a ledger was always kept where the auction had left the remains.

For him, he found the entire book collection had been sent off to a familiar figure; Eimur Emisol. The grandfather figure Douglas had always looked up to, he knew not if he was in league with Agron, but he could only assume. The anger he felt for his Master knew no bounds, and Eimur would be painted in the same brush stroke if he was to ensure his own safety in the city of trade.

With this in mind, he took off from the more criminal port district to his former idol’s estate. Guards constantly checked identification through the districts of the city, but a quick spell was often enough to get past the more mundane of the guards, and blockades. A mild oversight by the city it seemed, as they had severely underfunded their magical defenses with mages being at the highest echelons of society.

It took only a little time before Douglas was within the outer perimeter of the aggrandized estate, home of one of the greatest and wisest members of Elbion’s council. Guards walked much of the perimeter, but in the early hours of the morning many had already sidelined in favor of an easier work schedule. Douglas quietly listened as one guard did his own eccentric interpretation of the hit song “Pam Param.”

An open window near the balcony allowed Douglas right where he wanted. Within was Eimur’s personal study, covered in more rare and first edition books than anyone had ever seen outside of Alliria. It was a beautiful sight, and one that Douglas had the use of on more than one occasion; but now was not the time to look back on the books he enjoyed, but the most important ones he could find. With rucksack in hand, he quickly funneled many of the higher priced and dangerous books, only to pause at the desk that showed not only the book Rundal had given him laid out, but Agron’s personal set of notes nearby.

With a hoarse swallow, Douglas took special care to lay both within his rucksack, tightening its top before turning and moving for the exit. Five steps from freedom, he heard the familiar voice of Eimur behind him, forcing him to stop;

“Douglas?”, Eimur offered.

The boy turned to look at his aging friend, sadness overcoming him as memories flooded back of their good times. Even still, he knew he couldn’t trust him, there was no telling if Agron was in league with him, and knowing how his master had used him, he fully expected Eimur to do the same. And he might have had a bunch of his most valuable possessions in his bag, but that was an afterthought.

“What are you doing here?”

“Getting what is mine.”

Eimur frowned in response, simply shaking his head as he took a few steps towards him. With what seemed like shame, Eimur offered him a kindred, yet sad, smile and spoke calmly;

“Its a real shame you were dragged into Agron’s scheming, Douglas. I tried to save you from it all with the council, but they wouldn’t listen…” he said with a quiet discontent.

Douglas let his shoulders untighten at the words, feeling genuine intent behind them. And yet, as the words came, he felt the quick jab of something painful in his stomach. Looking down, he saw the small arcane bolt that had pierced his stomach, forcing him to take a step back before looking back to Eimur.

A far more cruel expression overcame him as he noticed now the outstretched hand, spell at the ready.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you stealing from my library, Mr. Haley?”, he said, motioning to a small sigil near the window. Off a quick glance one could tell it was a supervisory rune intended to signal its caster the moment someone with a different magical signature passed by it.

Douglas gritted his teeth as he turned to escape, barely throwing his weight out of the window to the balcony before more magic tore him from his spot and into a nearly marble pillar. The moon peered now with malcontent, seemingly judging the poor student for his inability to process the betrayal of his master’s master despite the preemptive thought of it happening.

“I’ll be taking those books now, Mr. Haley.”

Douglas grunted as he stood, readjusting the sack before turning to face his aggressor. Another magical bolt came towards him, but now instead of piercing his stomach it was deflected into the endless night sky above; a quick but effective move in regards to the situation. In his other hand, Douglas attempted a small telekinetic push of some pressure; a somewhat simple magical move, but effective in terms of practicality. Eimur however failed to budge, somehow immune to his simplistic usage of magic.

Instead, he offered a simple shake of his head, as though disappointed that his teachings never struck home with the boy. In a moment of weakness, Douglas was ripped from his stance as blood fell from his abdomen, and he was thrown through the air off the second story balcony; landing harshly against the garden below. A rainfall the night before was his only saving grace as the ground gave with his weight.

Eimur stood at the balcony, peering down on Douglas like a proverbial god;

“And so the intruder dies, with nothing to show for it.”

Eimur opened his palm, and fire formed within it on command. Its heat became noticeable even at Douglas’s distance, and he knew Eimur’s intent was lethal now. Fear rushed through him as his breath quickened, and desperation took over. He never meant to hurt Eimur, never intended to even see him, but death was now as close as it had ever been. Blood was on the ground, and primality was in the mind, the only thing he could think of was survival.

With this, Douglas reached up with his own palm, and just as the lich had once been the victim of, electricity formed in his palm. It crackled and sparked, broke free of his grasp, and as fire rained down upon him it was met with a maelstrom of energy produced by only a Kavoshian of pure form. The thunderous clap of magical powers met and-

---

Douglas tore himself from the blanket, looking around as the group continued its discussion about where they’d buy their next brothel trip. He swallowed hard before wiping away the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead; an idle hand moving to rest on the backpack he carried, still full of the books he had taken from Eimur so many weeks before.

Before him Alliria waited, and behind him a history he didn’t wish to witness again, and yet here he was. Dreaming of the lost life he once had, one so many had dreamed of, and one he lost in only a moment. So much blood on his hands, and his life had only just begun.

He didn’t expect to sleep further that night, and with that in mind stood to join the others, picking up a cup of the poorly made fire pit coffee they had brewed, and prepared for the day’s travels in quiet appreciation of the peace of the night sky.​

 

[Douglas Haley]

Alliria, town of trade and bustling intensity the likes of which no northern port city like Elbion could compare. Millions walked these streets, and just witnessing it was a marvel that spoke to the jewel of two continents. It filled him with some hope, not only for the opportunity he might find in the city, but the fact nobody would know him in these streets; now a wanted outlaw in Elbion and its surrounding area. It was the perfect city to lose yourself amidst the many, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

In time however, as more importantly he required assistance in translating the ancient work Rundal had given him. The Book of Viduus, as it had come to be coined, was entirely written in a dead language a lich who had given him the book seemed to know. The issue now was Douglas's own inability to read Kavoshian, despite his own genetic history with such. Asking around, he was told of twins who were knowledgable in the ancient civilizations of old; and the Kavoshian were enigmatic, but well endeared in scholarly circles. Once upon a time, they even held one of the greatest institutes of learning in the southern ocean; The Kavosh Polis, but it fell soon after the Kavoshian curse had appeared.

Now, one of their final members had come to ask questions of his own people from a complete stranger. A few rasps on the estate, and the dirty-from-travel Douglas took a step back, carefully looking as respectful in form as possible despite the dirt and grim that had built up on him, rucksack lade heavy on his shoulders. As the door opened, he smiled, taking on as polite a tone as he could;

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Kira Mako or Mibufuda Mako. My name is-", he hesitated, considering if he should lie about his name before simply telling the truth;

"Douglas Haley."

Word wouldn't have spread so far about the murder of an Elbion Councilmen, nor the treason supposed by the young man. Alliria had far greater things to worry about, afterall.

The city had been a never-ending show of strange and wonderful surprises for Kira. With wide eyes and a girlish grin, the Kitsune had studied those around her with the same curiosity with which they regarded her and her brother. It had been a couple of days by now, mostly filled with consuming food from everywhere they could find, discussing theories regarding human cities, and generally behaving like they were above the humans in whose city they now resided.

Currently, the dark-haired kitsune sat curled up in a plush chair in her room, vulpine nose buried as ever in a book. Her tail twitched a little occasionally, the only sign other than the turning of pages that she was even still awake.

She glanced up as her quiet morning was interrupted as a human hastily approached, hands behind his impeccably straight back, somehow adept at getting her attention without speaking. As she looked at him, he spoke,

"A... Douglas Haley for you, ma'am."

Kira raised an eyebrow, glancing over to her brother. Mibu just smirked at her. Her face a mask of curiosity, Kira pulled herself up from the chair, placed the book down upon the seat, and made her way to the front of the estate.

Where had she heard that name? It would have to have been recently, human gossip didn't travel back to where she came from. The human would have been offered to wait in a front room furnished with stately chairs and couches. Whether he accepted or not, she approached him and stood directly in front of him--likely just a little too close for comfort. Her tail swished curiously, the girl herself leaning forwards to study the man as she greeted him.

"You're Douglas Haley?"

The appearance of Kira came at somewhat of a surprise; thinking Alliria would be a bit more like Elbion in terms of its humancentric populations. And yet, the city never failed to surprise, from the massive orcs lugging pieces of construction between sites on large hand carts, to the now effeminate, beautiful kitsune that stared him down now. Leaning back from her uncomfortable display, he nearly tripped over his words before he spoke up;

"Yes, I'm Douglas Haley.", he said with a bit of hesitation.

"I've heard you are somewhat local experts on history and ancient civilizations. I've a book here-", he said, reaching into his rucksack to show her the ancient black leather bindings of the Book of Vinduu.

"-its in ancient Kavoshian. Its a dead language, but I've yet to find any scholarly works on how to translate much of this. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me translate this, while I work through the more intricate ciphers later."

Offering little more than an awkward smile, he waited a response from her as a brow cocked in anticipation. He couldn't see why she would say no, but the inconvenience of the matter certainly weighed heavy on his self esteem.

The man standing before her spoke his name, stumbling a little as he did. He seemed... nervous, uncomfortable somehow. Not really a surprise, many people were surprised by the striking appearance of the Kitsune and her brother. Just wait until he saw her around a food cart...

Bright blue eyes looked the man over as he spoke, studying him, scrutinizing him. Every part of him was inspected, judged, noted and categorized. She tensed as he reached into his rucksack, her fingers moving to the Kimono she wore. Kira had not too long ago berated her twin for trying to wear his while they travelled, noting to him how inefficient it was. Now that they were in the city, however, she reveled in wearing her own, and the strange looks it drew her.

However, her eyes were instantly drawn to the book as Douglas produced it, her fingers moving to take it from him. She studied the leather eagerly, excited to turn it over in her hands if she got a hold of it. For a few moments after he spoke they were draped in silence, Kira seemingly forgetting he was there entirely as she focused solely on the book. Kavoshian? She had hoped to find a true Kavoshian text... but wouldn't have dreamed of it being so soon.

Just as the silence began to grow awkward, she glanced up.

"Well, why are you standing out there?"

Spinning on a dime, she turned away from him, her Kimono swooping through the air around her like some strange aura of silk and ribbons. She took a few steps away, before stopping and canting her head to one side, turning back to him, she paused, as if remembering something,

"Uh... yes. I'll translate this for you. Follow me to the library, we will work in there. Um... did you bring any food with you by any chance?"

Perhaps the strangest thing about the visiting Kitsune was not their appearance, or even somewhat disjointed behavior, but rather it was how the two of them seemed to have such insatiable appetites, whilst remaining impossibly slender.

Douglas stood silent, mouth agape for a moment as she simply took his book and walked away, and even more confused by the fact she wanted food despite everything he had just presented her with. In Elbion, he would have been more than willing to offer her food, taking a portion of his vast allowance Agron had allowed him while there; and yet here he stood, penniless and without so much as a crumb. He solemly shook his head and followed as he spoke;

"Unfortunetly not. Travel hasn't been kind to me, and I've yet to make much money in the city.", he said as he held the back at his side a bit tighter.

"I've a few other books, but I'm not sure yet if I should sell them off. It'd get me some gold to live off, but I value them a bit too much."

As they moved through the home, he kept one eye trained on the Kitsune, as he kimono swayed idly between her curvy gaunt, and another eye on the architecture of the home. Well sized, a study any mage in Elbion would be proud of, and certainly bigger than his apartment. Agron's estate was bigger, but he didn't spend as much time there after he grew up, often to do with the bad memories. Eventually, the nearly white eyes of the Kavosh fell to her once more as she sat to study the text;

"Do you have another book to cross reference the language? I've heard of one in the southern seas, but I haven't had a chance to travel there and follow up on the leads there. Honestly, I'm not sure if its not just an outright myth...", he said, continuing to ramble despite her lack of answer.

He stopped himself though, realizing between his sudden appearence, the excessively dirty way he was presented, and his now rambling nature to the first scholar he had seen in literal weeks, that he was being a bit overbearing. A bit of color flushed into his cheeks as he stopped himself, scratching his hair in a nervous display of uncomfortability.

Kira glanced up to Douglas as he mentioned not having brought anything for her to eat.

"... oh, well okay."

The words were simple, but not curt or brash. In fact, ultimately, she hadn't expected much. How did these humans not bring food when they went to meet one another? Just another strange custom she had to grow used to.

As he mentioned having other books that he considered selling for gold to live on, she turned, stopping in her tracks to cast him a gaze of true concern. For a few moments those big, bright eyes studied him, her air of arrogance momentarily pierced by a look of genuine concern.

"Oh there's no need for that," She replied softly, "I'm quite sure I can ensure you're looked after... don't sell the books."

She turned from him and returned to walk through the house towards the library. The kitsune hoped that she'd done so quick enough that the man hadn't seen her blush. She knew her brother Mibu wouldn't approve. He never approved of potential suitors she found. If she was honest... that tended to make them more attractive, something about rebelling against his wishes. But this one in particular, this Douglas... he was quite the suitor indeed. His rugged, world-weary state, the well-bred looking features beneath it, he could have walked straight from Kira's most intimate dreams in that state.

Kira no She thought to herself, he's here for books and knowledge, not in search of a mate.

Once in the stately library, Kira lowered herself into a chair, sitting daintily with the softest of sighs, before licking the tip of her finger and pulling open the text. As she ran her finger along the text, he spoke again, causing her to blush deeply. How could she have forgotten to grab her reference text? She was focused so deeply on not letting him see how he affected her, she'd neglected to grab it.

He stopped himself mid-sentence, and she blinked, turning to gaze at him.

"Actually..." Kira paused a moment, biting her lip, "I have a reference text up on that shelf over there, the one with the black spine."

She raised a finger, pointing towards the far wall.

"... It's not complete, but it'll be a start, if it looks like this book might have the answers you need, we could um... well I'd like to have that other reference text in my collection."

Oh gods she hoped that wasn't too forward.

Douglas took on a bit of a smile, quickly unstrapping the bag he carried with the various dangerous tomes of knowledge he held, and meandered over to the black spined book she spoke of. A unique copy, he didn't doubt, but it was the first chance, and possibly his only chance, to learn his people's ancient language. Opening it, he flipped through a few pages as if to understand what he was reading, only to walk back to Kira and offer her the book with a small grin.

"Of course, Miss Mako. If theres anything I can do to repay you, helping to get you a copy of the book in question would be the very least."

Quickly, he seemed to lose himself in the thought of reading the book, taking care to pull up a chair next to her and almost hovering over her shoulder, glancing between the text to figure out what little he could about the Kavosh language, his pale, almost empty eyes seeming to brighten in the books presence. A scholar was he through and through, and for a moment he didn't seem to realize how close he had gotten to the Kitsune.

The book however hardly held the same romantic tension Douglas had poorly seemed to not pick up on. Its pages held words which hadn't been understand but by the very select few many thousands of years before. Diagrams, depictions, of rituals and torture all spoke to the cruel science of harvesting a soul, and utilizing its profound energy for magic. What it spoke of was grotesque in every shape and form, doing more than killing a person for magic, but to stop their chances of ressurection, and outright existence in the plane. From how high level the technique was in terms of doabilty, to the simple fact how dangerous it was to attempt to pull from the massive singularity that the soul was.

Nothing about the book was pleasant, and as the two studied, Douglas's expressions slowly faded as he realized the damage the book's information held. Leaning back in his chair, the memories of Rundal pervaded, and he realized that the man had been after a way to endless power in the books depths, but was never able to achieve it. How long had he been at it? Enough to remember the book entirely, he imagined, its likely why he gave it up so willingly. Even then, he never accomplished his goal, which was in a sense a blessing nobody but the gods had used a soul for magic yet, and a travesty someone was still trying to.

Then he realized Agron and Eimur, his old masters, had been after that exact information. He sighed as he sat back, finally pulling away from the Kitsune with a meager shake of his head. What was in those pages was not only a crime against humanity, but the very instructions to surpass mortality. He spoke just as meager as he appeared for a moment, looking to Kira with a bit of a shock in his expression;

"I'm sorry you had to read that, Kira. I... I didn't realize what was in it."

The more Kira read of the text she translated, the more she seemed to grow interested in it. Cheeks were flushed, perhaps the only reaction of hers that was what one might expect for a lady reading about such violent and gruesome things. However, her eyes burned brightly, a wide eagerness about them. Her fingers traced along the words, her lips puckering as she sounded some of them out. She was practically drooling over the text. Excitement at being able to read Kavoshian? A mere love for all things related to the literary arts? Or... a secret desire to learn more about the gruesome content-matter? It was impossible to tell. Kira couldn't even admit to herself which it was.

Only when Douglas pulled away did Kira glance up. He shook his head, seemingly disappointed or a little surprised at the content. His apology was met with a tilted head and ears perked forwards in confusion.

"What? Oh, don't be silly!" She replied, an almost wild grin upon her features, "it's rather exciting, don't you think? Much more enthralling than what's in most of these books."

She raised a hand, gesturing to the library at large.

"So, are we going to collect this other text?"

Douglas gave her a curious look before cocking a brow, "Well, I mean of course its interesting, even exciting I just...", he said before trailing off in thought.

She didn't understand his morbidity about it, but that was because a lack of context. While the magic itself was interesting, he was more disturbed on how many had attempted to use him to gain such information, and with that driving itself home he could do little more than shake his head.

"The other article is a myth, and if its anything to go by its on an island many thousand miles away amidst a thousand year storm. I don't think we'll be making it there anytime soon.", he said with what delicacy he could manage, hoping to not hurt Kira's feelings. Glancing outside, he noticed the sun had begun to lower, and they were offered nothing but the low light of dusk.

"I hate to ask, but do you have a place to stay for the night? We could certainly continue our work in the morning if you don't mind.", he said with a quiet regard for her position as his caretaker.​