Chapter 17: A very interesting book
Luz tried to calm herself down as she walked down the halls of Order's headquarter. She was trying to steady her excitement and remove the enormously, happy grin that was on her face. She stood in front of the library's door, took a calming breath and opened the door.
"Wow," the human girl said, opening the door and entering.
The interior of the library, ornately decorated with mosaics, was much more spacious than the wooden entrance door had suggested.
The cavernous space, shielded from the natural sunlight, was comfortable cool, and was lit with a warm gold glow that seemed to be coming from a yellow crystals mounted on the walls.
Luz stopped at the center of a cruciform bridge directly below the giant piece of crystals, then walked to the edge and peered down at the levels upon levels, all filled with shelves, stretching several floors down. There had to be something helpful about the connection with the Boiling Isles here somewhere, though it might take her a long time to find it.
"Time to read books!" She let out a loud enthusiastic whoop, which echoed in the stillness.
There was a great rustling noise, and a large shadow fell over her. "Miss, this is a Library. Please be quiet." an irritable soft voice commented from behind her.
Luz started around with a gasp to see the owner of the voice, who could only be the librarian herself, in the form of a giant gray cephalopod female monster with eight tentacles and horn-rimmed glasses. She bares some resemblance to Ursula - the villainess of Disney animated film The Little Mermaid - since she had gray hair, tentacles instead of legs and wore a black dress. And Luz couldn't help but notice how strong and dangerous her tentacles looked. The teen took an involuntary step backwards.
"I guess you are new here." the librarian went on, "Then let me clarify rules for you. All the important licks of the history of both realms are compiled in this Library, the temple of knowledge for any Keeper. My friend and I maintain order and discipline as best we can. And if you do anything that grieve us, you will leave this place. Quicker than you can blink."
The librarian leaned in toward Luz. Close enough to look in her eyes. "Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Luz said as she make sure she don't blink.
"Good." the librarian said, drawing herself up to her full height again. "So you tell me right now, what are you doing here?"
"I'd like to learn more about the Boiling Isles and the people who lived here."
"If it is knowledge you seek," the librarian wrapped a tentacle around Luz's waist and lifted her off the floor. The human girl slightly yelped, placing her hands on her trapped waist as the tentacle began to pull her even away from the ground.
"Then you may proceed."
Carefully placing Luz on the one of lower bridge, the tentacle lightly tapping her shoulder. To assure that she was okay.
"And remember..."
The librarian's voice remains whisper-quiet for secret you can trust with a friend.
"Quiet!" With that, she turned and walked away, then seemed to vanish into the dusty dimness of the library.
But as Luz walked deeper into the library, she couldn't shake the feeling that those dark cephalopod eyes were still watching her.
'I wonder if they have an instruction manual for glyphs?' Luz thought, fiddling with the strap of her shoulder bag as she eyed the signs on the ends of the rows of shelves. They were written in a script she didn't recognize. Probably it was some ancient Demon Realm language. 'Where to start?'
"Well," she said to herself, heading down the first row, "here's as good a place as any."
Luz was afraid that everything would be written in languages she couldn't read, but to her relief most of the books and scrolls were labeled with recognizable characters.
Though some of the titles seemed rather dry, like Agricultural Products of the Palm, others looked a bit more intriguing, like On the Movements of the Skysidie Mountains, or The Magic Society and Their Migrations. Yet none seemed to immediately offer anything about the binding connections with the magic of the Boiling Isles.
The teen ran her index finger along the shelf at her eye level, still scanning the titles of the books until she came to a section of neatly stacked old volumes.
Scanning the spines, her brown eyes finally settled on a title that sounded interesting enough and plucked it up to examine it.
The cover was burgundy, with dull silver markings and gold reflective pages separated by a dark burgundy ribbon, and has golden borders with a large white gem on the center of its spine. Written in curly blue letters that were a mix of cursive and print was title - The Rules and Types of Magic
"Sound good," Book selected, Luz start looking for place to read this.
And a few minutes later, she found a great place to read.
The Library had an alcove that Luz had instantly taken a liking to. The windowsill bed sat next to a window enchanted to cycle through landmarks throughout the magic world (as the Library, on its own, had no windows.)
The human girl take a moment to admire the beautiful view of the window. Then she found the most comfortable spot at the window and opened the giant book.
When she opened it, a page that had been stuck to the cover was ripped out. The only part that was left were the words "Book written by" in red, neat letters. The first page red "Vol. 1".
Once she flipped the first paper over, she found it filled with words. "June 18" was at the top. Written in the same curly blue letters was the first entry. "It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began researching the strange and wondrous secrets of the Boiling Isles, Demon Realm. I think it's time that I wrote down every little kernel of truth that I've gleaned over the time of my existence, piece of knowledge, and every little secret."
'It's looking good so far.' Luz thought as she gently flipping through the old pages. To her great surprise other pages of the book don't appear to be written in English.
"What's the point of start writing book in English, then writing in a whole different language?" she muttered to herself.
Luz was about to set the book down when she found something between the pages. A single piece of glass-like material with a slim metal handle on one side. The whole thing was scarcely the size of her hand, and had kind of green button.
Her finger hit the button, activating it's white glow. Staring at the page through it Luz watched in wonder as the mysterious words written in the book turned into English.
"What I find fascinating is that the Demon Realm is full of different magic users, which have their own culture, traditions, beliefs and a very special abilities that enable them to use different form of magic. And I admire them all. However, I do plan to start with these most known ones.
Witches
Witches are a species present in the Demon Realm. They are born with a sac connected to their heart which contains a mucous, magical bile. Due to this, they are able to utilize magic and cast spells using spell circles.
They are humanoid beings; the majority of them are physically identical to humans besides a few morphological differences. Witches have pointed ears, as opposed to the rounded ears of humans. Much like animals, their ears can perk up when they are feeling positive emotions such as excitement and joy, and flatten when they are feeling negative emotions such as embarrassment, fear, or anger. However, other witches have more demon-like appearances or traits.
Two kinds of witches live on the Boiling Isles;
• Wild witches
They are a witches who not join the coven system after having reached maturity and decide to follow the path of the first witches. They are known for master all types of magic and a deeper bond with the Boiling Isles.
• Coven witches
They are a witches that are part of Coven System - instituted on the Boiling Isles for categorizing magic into specific types. The Coven System is a very specific. I'll compare it to the tree. The main covens are "the tree trunk" and the hundreds of other covens beneath them are "tree's branches"
There are nine main covens:
-Abomination
-Bard
-Beast Tamer
-Construction
-Healing
-Illusions
-Oracle
-Plant
-Potions
When a witching grows up, they go to see the head witch of one of the main covens. Then a witchling choose the profession. Interview with the head witches consists of verifying the level of qualifications, competence and experience of magic. After a interview the first four months in a chosen coven is seen as a probation period. If the witchs want it, they can join this coven after the probation period or they can try another.
The path to life and magic is the witchling's own choice.
The young witchlings find the wild way more exciting, however, due to a fact that more than 90 percent of witches are born with a talent for only one or two types of magic, the people usually choose join the coven. And engage in the occupation of one type magic work.
Still, the decision to become a member of the coven should be planned and also extremely well thought over. When a witch officially joins the coven, their arm is branded with the coven's sigil. These magic seals were created during the early stages of the cooperation between the Human and Demon Realms. The sigil strengthens the magic of chosen main coven at the expense of all witche's other types of magic.
The bakers coven, for example, is a branch of the potion coven. Then if the witch have opted for bakers coven, they get a potion coven's sigil. Their magic will grow more powerful in all branch of this main coven. So, a witch can work in any of the coven that are a subsidiary of the potion coven.
While a witch will be able to use magic outside their specialty, they will still be limited to the basic spells from others main witches types of magic. However, this does not include general spells such as levitation magic, albeit that depends in part on how hard witch's willing to work with a spells outside their specialty.
According to the law, a witch can leave or change the coven, but only after two years of work in the coven. The witch may, however, can freely change the "branch" coven during their two years of work experience.
Shamans
Shamans are a species native to Legerdomain. Even before going into what a shaman is and does, one has to understand shamanistic worldview, which is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces and spirits which affect the lives of the living, the elements and nature in general. Thus everything/anything either has or has potential to gain awareness or consciousness. So, a shaman is someone who has both ability and training and also secret knowledge to both perceive the spirits and their effects and how to contact and manipulate them to abide by the shaman's will.
Shamans are humanoid in appearance, but are recognizable due to their characteristic facial markings, white hair and bluish-purple eyes, which are common among their race. Although rare, individuals can be born with different colored eyes and darker hair.
They are separated into the clans. Each of the clan represent a different aspect of spirits' core. The Seven Basic Natures are the seven great elemental spirits, which are the foundation of all other spirits' powers. Each Great Spirit is naturally weaker than and stronger than another:
-Air,
-Sea,
-Lava,
-Light,
-Earth,
-Forest,
-Darkness.
Membership in a clan is usually determined by blood relations and genetics, which is vital in the usage of shamans' special techniques.
The Basic Shamans Clans focused only on the one of aspect of spirits nature, however, there are also other clans called "Combined Clans" whose members by using two or three spirits' nature simultaneously, can create a completely new kind of spirits power with unique properties that wouldn't exist on its own.
Alchemists
The power to utilize alchemy. It's form of Science-Magic Mixture. Practitioners of this sort of magic are known as Alchemists.
The alchemical operation consisted essentially in separating the prima materia, the so-called "chaos", into the active principle, the soul, and the passive principle, the body, which were then reunited in personified form. User can utilize Alchemy, focusing on Elemental Transmutation (ranging from transforming base materials into purer (lead or iron into silver or gold), to making permanent changes on the state of matter (making glass malleable or durable), etc.), andvarious forms of Elemental Manipulation (especially electricity and fire).
According to history, the practices of alchemy originated in Sapphire Horn Island in the first centuries AD (Huamn Realm) / The Wild Ages (Demon Realm). They were subsequently practiced across Eeast part of the Demon Realm. In truth, the primary goal of alchemy was to purify, mature, and perfect different materials and substances.
Alchemists are logical and intellectual people but a more complex than I'm giving them credit for. So their society cannot be reduced to a single definition by person like me. However I also happened to notice that they are divided into tribes.
The tribes are a group of alchemist who have chosen to explore the secrets of materials which can be found on the specific geographical area.
The example:
- The Tribe of Petropyros is based in Dragon's Spine. A area that has several layers and clouds of greenish-yellow sickly fog, geysers cracks, dead trees, and dragon skeletons. Inside the brown-orange gorge are brown mushrooms that are filled with mystery slime, bones, skeletons or carcasses of dragons are seen lying around, pits of bubbling lava, green steaming geysers, an acid lake with its waterfall and floating white rocks, and giant wormhole pit-tunnels leading to a underground hiding cave with pits of bubbling lava.
Wizards
From a biological standpoint, Wizards individuals are essentially indistinguishable from regular person. The distinguishing characteristic of members of this magic users lies in they individuals having an inherent genetic affinity for wielding wizards' spells.
Wizard's magic requires training and practice. Genetic and personal affinity for this type of sorcery are also helpful; a person does not need to be gifted at utilizing and performing to use magic, but it is very helpful, especially to perform at a high use of wizard's magic also requires energy, usually provided by the user. As the first wizards explains, there is a cost to magic and it can drain the user's vim vitae, or life force.
Wizars's magic can be channeled in a variety of ways:
• Spoken words are a common method. A variety of languages are used, though an individual wizard will typically use a single language almost exclusively.
• Wizard's spells works also by syphoning the magical energy out of the part of magical creatures bodies. But this method still needs incantations in which the wizard speaks a sentence in reverse.
Wizards society is divided into three circles (factions), each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue and a view they have of use magic.
• Mind circle
They are a wizards that have an enduring desire for learning and self-improvement. Their core belief is 'Knowledge is priceless'. It is also noted that wizard from this circle care for eloquent speeches, as well as their search for knowledge. For them, magic is very mysterious. A secret they have to understand... and I mean this constructively.
• Body circle
This group considered the transparent dreamers of the wizards' circles. They value peace and harmony. Members of circle are seen giving advice and singing songs. They are happy people, willing to serve, but, unlike other wizards, do not kindly share their secrets of magic. They believe that the magic just will come to those who need it.
• Heart circle
The members value honesty, above all else. A member of heart can be recognized from their black and white wristbands or shawls, a visual representation of the black-and-white they see in truth. Being a wizard for them it is worth representing oneself. And according to them, that can reveals whether the person is very good or very bad.
...
In my detailed research on this topic, I noticed that the basic magic users powers differ at many levels, and despite different ability to use magic - they all has a "close friend" or companion who accompanies them for most of their life. Helping, protecting and providing support for them.
Palisman - a magical totem that sits atop a witch's staff and by all rights, an object rather than a living creature. Despite this, a palisman is an independent, sapient entity capable of having consciousness and detaching itself from the staff, though still subservient to the witch who owns their staff.
Chanuls - a special subtype of spirit that is external physical manifestation of a shaman's soul and their inner magic nature. Chanuls have hight intelligence, are capable of communicate mentally with shamans and sometimes with others beings— regardless of the form they take — and usually behave as though they are independent of their shamans. (They have a very own personality.)
Animal familiar - a small animal or imp kept as a wizard's attendant, given to them by the mentor or inherited from another member of family. They frequently interact with each other in ways that mirror the behaviour of their masters, such as fighting one another when their wizards are fighting, or nuzzling one another when their wizards embrace.
Charmnions - a sentient large golem-like creatures with pink and white or magenta runes in their skin (not to be confused with the Abomination). They are brought to life from totems by Alchemists, who use them to more performance of daily activities. This beings seem to have a sense of loyalty and the low level of intelligence, but themselves do not have any personality or self-awareness at all due to their nature as magically animated stone.
...
It's also worth mentioning about Amplifiers.
They are objects that increase a magic users' power and external source of magic to cast spells. There are four main types of Amplifiers :
Witch's Staffs
They are usually awarded to a witch as part of their education. A staffs can function as both transportation, weaponry, and also familiars. They have power embedded into them to allow a witch to use powerful spells without using their own magical bile up.
Shaman's Tambourine
Tambourines function as a link between the shaman, spirits and a shaman's heart magic essential. Their power source comes from a magic crystal called a manameum. As it is well known, the Soul Cave challenge is one way of obtaining a manameum, though it is not necessarily the only way a shaman can obtain them.
Alchemist's Gauntlets
Gauntlets enhance the manipulation of elements, however, allow Alchemists also to absorb and synthesize the mass, properties, and chemical makeup of matter to change their body into living matter in the shape of the Alchemist. On the back of the gauntlet is the symbol of the tribe which glows white; the more magic the wearer has, the brighter it glows.
Wizard's Bracelet
Artifact is use for casting magical spells and storing wizard's magic tools. Spells wizard learnt are 'stored' in the bracelet, to be used as and when needed. The size seems to change through the years, growing larger as wizards learns more spells. When not in use, the bracelet is disguised using a illusion, as a silver band with an indent in the front and several engravings.
Blood
BLOOD MAGIC OVERLAPS WITH BLACK MAGIC AND THE DARK ARTS. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND PROHIBITED!
Spilling of blood is a potent force in the working of all types of magic. It may be...
Luz wanted, but she couldn't learn more about this topic because the three pages was torn out of book a long time ago.
The girl was intrigued by this, but she knew that has little chance to discover why someone did it.
After a quick check of the time, she decided to stop reading and contented herself in gently flipping through the old pages. Primal Sources, Magic gems, Titan's blood, Overlords Demons, Gnomes,
Cursed Doors, pages filled with rune…
"¿Qué es esto?" Luz muttered to herself. She paused as she came across a particularly frightening page.
"NEVER WEAR THAT MASK!" was written in black, heavy letters and underlined multiple times under what looked like a drawing of Harlequin mask.
"Unfortunately, Baba Jaga suspicions have been confirmed. This mask is cursed, and... I'm being watched. I must hide this mask before they finds it. Remember: Magic is a double-edged blade. One side light, the other dark. And there is a big price to be paid for some kind of power. The righteous and the meek may recoil at its cost, but many eagerly accept the bargain. Acient power alone is not to be feared. Fear instead, those who wield it! They calls to weak people, where they are most desperate; when victory seems worth any sacrifi-"
*BAM*
Luz jumped, book flying from her lap. The sound of heavy bookcase that fell to the ground laughter echoed through the library.
The human girl blinked, a long sigh leaving her lips as she glanced left and right.
And not a dangers or damage in sight. But she had a feeling something was going down.
'Maybe... I should have checked to make sure nobody got hurt.' Luz decided as she gathered her book and placed it on a small shelf above her head. Then she walked back towards the stairs.
Luz walked down arm of the bridge to explore the level below, and only belatedly realized that something trampled through the other bridge.
She started down the arm of the bridge where the mysterious small person? creature? other librarian? had run off remarkable speed.
The witch's apprentice followed unknown being into a place where a few books were lying on the floor. She looked around, expecting to find a librarian or someone in need. But saw only a old books and acient scrolls.
"Hello?" the teen called from the end of the aisle.
*ZZZZTT*
The strange soft sound echoing somewhere in the distance, and Luz walked towards for what she thought was the sound source.
"Hello?"
As she was looking around while going between shelves full of books, she stepped on something small and heard a soft sound.
*CLICK*
Author's notes:
The Librarian's voice is Jasmine Lee from "The Life and Times of Juniper Lee"/ Amy Hill
Comments are very much appreciated and inspires me to write more.