Blood and Thunder

Chapter 2 - The Hunter Of Books

"Alexander, please can we play explorers again."

Alexander looked at his sister and smiled.

Although Rosia was only seven, she had already taught Alexander so much. Sure, they didn't always see eye to eye, but he loved her and would do anything for her. He learnt how to plait her hair so he could teach her. She was a quick learner who, just like Alexander, had a thirst for knowledge.

Rosia closed the door behind her and headed towards him, smiling when she saw the book in his hand. She walked over to him and ducked under his arm. Alexander quickly moved the book out of her way as she sat herself down between his outstretched legs.

"Read to me please. I love it when you tell me stories of adventures."

Alexander laughed. He loved to tell his sister stories just to watch her face light up and her eyes staring up at him just waiting.

"Of course, get comfortable. This is the one we were reading the other day."

As he continued the story he watched as her eyes filled with excitement. At the end of the book Rosia sat there staring at the closed book before turning towards her brother and smiling.

"It's wonderful. I wish our life was as adventurous, I wish we could go to Neverlandfar off lands and meet new people and learn new things" she said as she flopped backwards over his leg. She laid her head on the floor, and her back on Alexander's leg, stared up at the ceiling. "How comes there are not that many books about magic and adventures around? We know everyone has talents which some class as magic, so why don't we read about them much? What about the books father mentions? You and father talk about books so wondrous yet we rarely see them. You should be a writer and write all about them."

Alexander laughed "I don't need to write stories when I can simply just make them up in my head and tell you straight away, that way the story is always different and I can always change parts as we go along."

But Rosia had a point and he had wondered for years why there were not more books like that? And why does he have to hide these from people? He decided to ask his father.

He told Rosia that he had to go help father with some plans for tonight, she didn't look too convinced but she sighed and walked out of his room and into her own.

Still holding the book, he walked steadily down the stairs and stopped once he got to the large wooden door of the study. He knocked and waited.

"Enter" his father said in his normal deep voice. He looked up to see who it was. Alexander saw that his father was writing in his notebook again. He always seems to be writing something.

"Ah Alexander my boy, what can I do for you?" He slowly shut the notebook before beckoning Alexander into the room.

Walking into the room, he pushed the door shut behind him and walked towards his father's desk before gently placing the book down on the desk. His father looked at him for a moment and then at the book. For a moment Alexander thought his father was going to yell and tell him to get out. But he simply sighed and Alexander swore that his father was reading his mind.

"You want to know where I got this from and why there are not many of these kinds of books around?" He sighed again before taking off his reading glasses and placing them on the desk. "I suppose you are old enough to understand. It's okay to question it my boy. I was the same around your age."

"I don't understand."

"I think you understand more than you think you do" his father replied almost immediately.

"That book on my desk is one of the last remaining copies, and it's the same for the books I told you to hide." He gestured to the chair in front of Alexander, "sit down, and do not repeat what is said. You are old enough to know this, but this information is to stay between us. Understand?"

Alexander nodded and sat down. He wondered what was so important about a book, that it has to stay between them?

"In 2190 a lot of books were hunted down and burnt by a group called 'Liber Venator'. These books were anything from children's stories,certain history books, even certain religious books and files. Rumour has it, that if you had a copy of a book that was meant to be burnt and didn't hand it in, then the liber venator would find you and take the book and your head." He sat back in his chair and continued. "Naturally, people panicked and handed them the books. Hundreds of years of literature and history was destroyed in a matter of months. Some even say that certain people were put in charge of rewriting some of the history."

"But why would they burn books, what harm have books ever done? I don't understand why they rewrote some of our history." Alexander looked at his father, he was so puzzled. None of this made sense.

"Books have more power than we realise. Even simple children's stories can inspire hope. Facts and figures can spark research into things. Books are incredible weapons, if you know how to use them." He paused. "That's all I know" his father added very quickly.

Alexander knew he was lying, but he didn't dare question him. If his father was lying, he had a good reason to. He had learnt that over the years.

"I don't know why but it has been happening ever since, for years it's been the same. The Liber Venator still hunt down non-regulated books, and still burn or hide them. But what I do know is that the books I have given you should never leave the grounds and should never be shown to anyone except myself and Rosia. I know you have been reading to her, I've had words with her and she knows not to tell others about the stories. Your mother doesn't wish to see, or hear any stories from the old days." His father looked at Alexander and smiled a weak smile. "You're old enough to know this and please don't be stupid enough to let anyone see that book."

"But father, you didn't tell me where you got this from." His father looked at him and smiled. But Alexander noticed something. The smile was not what it originally seemed. Instead of the happiness that is meant to radiate from a smile, it was full of a cold sadness. A cold truth was hidden behind that smile, a memory that possibly still affected his father to that day. Alexander tried not to give a sign that he realised that this wasn't going to be a happy story or one with a happy ending like the books he had read. His father inhaled and held it for a few seconds as if trying to work out the best way to tell his tale.

"On my seventh birthday, my grandfather came for a visit to see if my talent has arisen and to congratulate me. What that talent is, no one fully knows until it happens. Although you can attempt to have a good guess by looking at the family tree, as talents seem to run in families, but it's not always the right way to guess. As you know very well, I have a talent for memory and intelligence which meant there wasn't much to show to begin with. So they thought I was going to be one of the people who do not gain a talent. My grandfather still gave me a gift and as soon as I saw it, I knew that it was a banned book. He told me the story of the Liber Venator and from that moment I swore to keep the book safe and a secret. I've been passing all of the books that were given to me onto you, for I knew that you would enjoy them as much as I did."

"Why are they banned? What is so wrong with them?"

"I don't know" his father replied quickly. "I don't know and I have told you all I know, so no more questions."

Alexander could tell that his father was getting annoyed and was hiding things from him. But he didn't want to annoy him any further, it wouldn't solve anything.

"Now please, go upstairs and find something to do. I have to finish doing some things before tonight."

Alexander grabbed the book, stood up and nodded to his father before walking out of the study. That meeting left him with more questions than answers. But maybe in a few years his father would let him know more about the Liber Venator. Until then, he had to just deal with what he knew, or find a way to find out more without his father knowing.