In a world where humans and elves had always lived in harmony, a prophecy was made that an evil power would arise and bring the ruin of the human kingdom. Blinded by fear, the human race turned against the elves and the animosities that followed wer...
'How will we go in? We are not monks. Or rich,' Matthew asked.
They had almost arrived at the main city square, where the library stood out amidst the other buildings. Under a dove grey sky their footsteps left their mark on the fresh snow that had fallen the night before.
'I wasn't planning on going in. Breaking in is more like it,' Ines whispered.
'Oh God, please give me strength!'
They arrived outside the library and went to the back of the building.
'That kind of book must be stored in the safest part of the library. Somewhere with limited access. Where could that be?' she wondered out loud.
'Hmm, I would say the tower.'
Ines turned and looked at him in question. 'What about underground spaces?'
'They closed them off years ago. After the earthquake they were deemed unusable.'
'The tower it is then.'
The tower had been built in the good times, in the days of peace. Every brick of that tower had been placed by the workers' hands into a perfect circle, growing from the ground like a proud tree reaching for the sun.
Matthew helped Ines reach for a stable foothold, and watched her climb, making sure she reached the lowest window safely. Ines quietly opened the window, and jumped in. Her head peeped out of it, and Matthew took that as a signal to climb up too. When he landed next to Ines, he was already out of breath.
'Seriously now, what's wrong? Are you ill?' she asked, feeling his temperature with the back of her hand.
'I'm fine.' He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze to reassure her before he let go.
'Okay. We'd better be quick. Someone could come in at any moment.'
They rushed up the stairs and entered the highest floor in the tower. The attic could do with a little dusting and cleaning, but it must have been a fine place to dream and write. Timeworn books lined the shelves in the room that reached the ceiling, an Ines run her finger over their backs. She would have admired the books properly, had they not the limitations of time.
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Ines and Matthew spent a few minutes searching for the book they needed. They scanned the shelves one by one, none of wich contained any books about elves. They were looking at the last one left, when Matthew pulled out a dark red book that had seen better days. Ines examined it carefully. Its vintage cover and worn out spine made it look like it had come from another era. It was the one.
They placed it on a desk, sat down, and opened its cover. Plumes of dust erupted from the old book, giving the air a musty smell. They began reading.
