Heart of the Wolf Prince

Chapter 20(b)

He takes me down aisle after aisle, the various colours of leather bindings blending in my peripheral as we walk. This is more like a maze than a library, but I should not have expected anything less in the Gahndor palace.

Finally, we slow before a final aisle, consisting of two bookshelves leaning haphazardly against each other. I'm thinking we must be at a dead until Kohl begins to move through it, and I frown before following. This looks nothing like an entrance at all. I bite my questions down as we squeeze ourselves inside, the space opens up, and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the low light, provided only by a singular candle on a bookshelf. The room is circular, lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves that contained weathered tomes that seem one wrong touch away from coming apart entirely. At the centre of the room is a worn, wooden table surrounded by chairs, and the dust lining the surface tells me this room isn't used often.

On the table is a large, leather-bound tome that looks even more worn than the rest, and as I approach it, I see that there are seven golden sigils on the cover. I recognise several of them immediately – the two mountain peaks of Ounsli, the clashing swords of Cliffgard, the lightning bolts of Fragor, the tidal wave of Nirnsich, the moon of Lunous, and the single blaze of Agnarys. The other coat of arms, however, I do not recognise at all. It is two vines wrapped around what looks to be a heart. For whatever reason, though, I find my eyes fixing on it.

"I found this one stuffed back in my father's stuff. There was a law created a while ago that stated all books more than 1200 years old are blacklisted and burnt because of 'outdated content'. This one is 1800 years old, and is probably the last of its kind. I figured it may have something of use, but I haven't had the time to look through it yet. It's the oldest one I could find in my father's collection, and he had a few that should also have been burned by now, but I digress," Kohl adds, his eyes glazing over as he stares at the tome. I feel the same way. There's something entrancing about this book, something slightly exciting, like we're about to be let in on a secret most the kingdom is barred from.

I walk over to the book, my eyes still locked on that foreign symbol as I flick the book open. The first page is inked in black cursive, and I grunt as my eyes struggle to decipher the words. With so little light and such fancy letters, it's impossible for me to read. I irritably usher Kohl over, and he steps forward without hesitation. I don't miss how his arm brushes mine as he leans over, staring at the words.

"History of the Noble Bloodlines, written by Amadeus Ivo," Kohl begins, sparing me a long look. He drops a hand, and his fingers brush mine almost imperceptibly before he continues, "Raelia has been ruled by the royal Gahndor Bloodline for as long as written history can recall. With it, seven other bloodlines emerged, all with their own unique powers and abilities. These would later be known as the noble bloodlines."

"Seven?" I ask, and Kohl gives me a look that suggests he's just as lost. There's only ever been six noble bloodlines, not seven. And what did it mean by a unique power?

Kohl turns back to the book. "For years, each noble bloodline used their powers to keep their territories in check, all while under the ultimate influence of Gahndor. Each bloodline had an affinity to one magical element in particular, one which its users could summon and use on command. Those of the purest blood had the strongest hold of these elements, while more distant relatives had more diluted versions. Nevertheless, these werewolves were powerful forces to be reckoned with. There is no recorded case of a werewolf without noble blood wielding an element."

"Elements as in... natural elements?" I whisper, my heart rate ticking up. Kohl's eyes are instead locked on the page, his face paling.

"Each noble bloodline – or better known as house – was categorised by the element their heirs could wield. Ounsli became known as the House of Earth, Nirnsich as the House of Water, Lunous as the House of Moon, Cliffgard as the House of Steel, Fragor as the House of Storm, Agnarys as the House of Fire, and Athena as the House of Healers. However, just two hundred years ago, the elements disappeared like they never even existed at all. Those who had wielded them could suddenly not summon a drop of elemental magic, and the only evidence that they'd even existed at all would be the names associated with each house. Even now, just two-hundred years later, people debate if the elements ever existed at all, and while firm believers such as myself are wise to the fact, others are beginning to have their doubts. I have no doubt that within a few hundred years, the story of these elements will be nothing more than wives' tales. And a thousand years after that, any knowledge, legend or myth alike, will cease to exist at all. May this book serve as a vessel that carries this knowledge through the depths of time.