Books, friendships and more books [Social/8]

Library would always had their own special spot within Noir's heart, well, books, to be exact, but library had a lot of books so the magician still love it, if that made any sense. It would be her first time to visit Kina's public library actually, the vibe was a little bit different from other countries, but each country always had their own unique style for their library. Instead of those usual table with chairs, Kina's library had several low tables and zabuton, something like a floor cushion, scattered neatly around the area.

Noir was glad that she could bring Haku inside with her though, she was worried that the librarian wouldn't let her companion to enter, but perhaps they saw how calm and obedient Haku was. Either way, the black haired magician would start scanning one bookshelves, looking for some books that would interest her before moving to another bookshelves. In just several minutes, Noir was already seen holding several books, well since she was in the mood of Kina's mythology at the moment, most of the books were about all the legends, myths and history of the country itself.

After the black haired magician took enough books to accompany her for the day, she would place her books on the table before sitting on the cushion. Noir got herself comfortable as Haku laid down beside her, getting sleep because he was enjoying the peaceful vibe from the quiet library. With a book on her hand, Noir would begin to immerse herself into whatever the book would share to her through the writings.

Eight was travelling through Morihana, doing a little bit of legwork before commit to start his final plans right after getting the last bits of information from the procession and clan meet up that was about to happen. Since the Morihana was the last clan to join the alliance, it was the clan he was least familiar with. He needed to read up on their religious texts in particular.

Fortunately, they believed in education because they had a sort of community library. Eight was zoned in and it has a similar organization style to all sorts of libraries he had been to. He had gone straight to the section with scholar reviews of the religion of Morihana as well as the actual religious tenets, then getting acclimated to the difference in structure. It felt a little less organized but it invited a more spiritual feeling, but he needed a desk to truly focus.

It was at this moment where he noticed Noir and her beast, Haku. Eight would lean against a wall, propping the book up to nearly eye level to obscure her from his vision. Just the way she sat on the cushion. She must not have had the dedication to reading as he did. He even subtly shook his head as he read, not wanting to speak to her.

It was a new day, another day to be spent in the library, Noir would scan the book's content, understanding  every writing and absorbing the knowledge into her head. It was a pretty interesting book, the one that she took from a random shelf based on her own curiosity when she saw the title, 'Yoshitsune'. A story about general named Yoshitsune who was being pursued by agents of his brother who recently self appointed himself as a shogun. As she read more of the content of the book, Noir would put the book on the table first, before staring at it quietly,  thinking about something. She wondered why siblings ended up fighting each other, betraying each other or even killing each other. Was it because of greed? Was it because of jealousy?

She would begin to pick the book again, noticing that there was only a few pages left until she finished the book. Sometime she was amazed by how quick her reading pace was, but then again she was very focused the moment she started reading.  Sometimes she wouldn't be able to pay attention to her surroundings as well. Oh well, she would let out a sigh, getting ready to continue reading again before she felt someone was staring at her. She would look around for a bit only to find that Eight was also there in the library. The magician would give a little nod, didn't really pay attention on whether or not the man responded to her quiet greeting as she turned her head back, paying attention to her book once again.

Eight was in the middle of his studies when he took a second glance at Noir, but what he noticed was the cover of the book that she was reading. 'Yoshitsune?' His eyes looked over her, and he put the religious studies away. Eight scanned the library for a book he was familiar with and in the foreign section he found some works that he recognized and picked out the play of Octavia, a Reiman tragedy where a woman divorced by her own husband for another woman tries to calm the people, which only serves to enfervor them, but because of the resulting uproar, Octavia is executed as the source of the uprising.

Eight was eager to trade stories with the scholar. There weren't many people who read plays, either they would do their diligence and read what they had to, or they would enjoy the plays acted out, while both were valuable, having someone who would read screenplays was different. "Is that your favorite? I know we've 'met' but now I feel we share something more than just our mutual experiences, so I want to reintroduce myself. My name is Eight." But he felt that was insufficient for an introduction to the person he had spent battles with, scoured the plains, risked his life with and seen her true colors of kindness time and time again. To an earnest and kind person who still existed in a world riddled with corruption, perhaps he could trust her. "Well, that's my slave name... my birth name is Hyperion Tol Baelsar, technically a Reiman Fanalis despite my lack of fanalis features." He grew comfortable around her presence, disarmed by mutual interest and sat on a cushion beside her, waiting to see her words.

The magician had just finished reading the Yoshitsune book when she heard Haku whimpering softly, feeling alarmed because someone was approaching them. But before she could pet her liger to let him go back to sleep, Noir saw Eight, closing his distance towards her by bringing a book on his hand. The black rukh was swarming around the man, mixing with her own white colored rukh as he got close enough to say something to her. Noir admitted she was taken aback by the man’s words, this was probably the first time for them to have a decent conversation. Usually it was just a business related kind of conversation and mostly it was less than 10 words.

Eight reintroduced himself again towards Noir, something that the girl thought was a little bit strange, but then he went on and revealed that it was his slave name before mentioning his real name to her. The black haired girl’s eyes widened a little bit when she heard that he had a slave name, implying that he was a slave as well. Not only that, judging from the way he asked about the book she was reading, it seemed he loved books, just like her. Fate was really interesting, wasn't it? It was full of surprise… and this was Noir’s first time to meet someone with a similar past and similar interest.

With a nod, the girl would answer the man, “Yes, it is one of my favorites now. Interesting storyline and gracious way of writing, have you read it?” She would pause a second before bowing her head slightly in front of him. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Baelsar. I am sure you already know my name, but let me also reintroduce myself in return. My name is Noir, Noir Ecryola… I am a magician, perhaps from Reim as well...” There was the reason why she said the last part of her words, she didn't mean to make it confusing. But since she wasn't sure about it as well due to her amnesia… oh well, she could only hope that Eight was understanding enough.

He reminded Noir of Adrastos though, a man with many names… but Adrastos chose to use a lot of persona, so that was why he got so many names. But this man, Eight, it was his slave name… and it was probably because he was… the 8th. Well, she got those kinds of names as well although it changed from time to time everytime she was sold to other masters. But it didn't matter now, she could freely use her own name anytime she wanted.

“Do you love books?”

The slaver could easily infer her passion of book from the way she spoke. Her gentle kindness graced her in a soothing aura. The way she called him Mr. Baelsar instilled a sense of pride in him, reminding him of a possible future he could have had without suffering. "Noir... Ecryola." Repeating the words into his mind, knowing that these words were significant. "I haven't read the book yet, but I've heard of it. And you'll have to excuse me, but I don't go by my real name... I don't quite own it yet so I keep it very secret." As he spoke those words, he almost wondered why he shared this with her. "So just call me Eight for now."

Eight wouldn't intrude on those words of uncertainty about her home, storing them for a later conversation. He  looked at Haku, who was still intimidating, but seemed a bit more friendly as well. A spider would crawl up his chest, peaking over the collar of his shirt to see the situation. Sling, Eight's pet slime spider, in complete stillness stared at the scene for minutes before retreating back beneath the owners attire.

With Noir's final question, Eight would turn the book to show his companion the cover, and began to explain the texts and the tragedy of the Octavia, spending the time exchanging favorite stories and details about literature, such as its history, the authors, the reasons for the writing whether they be serious or comical and his own desire to write. At the end, before leaving, he told her he'd come back again tomorrow, "Hope I'll see you here again tomorrow."

---

Eight had shown up earlier than the day before and he was looking up myths of the world. There was one he had heard about and was revisiting now that he had seen such power at the plains, and hearing rumors of a new sighting: Dungeons.

Eight had heard about dungeons before but never putting any stock in them, at the very least, it'd make for an interesting topic to talk with Noir about, especially considering they had met in the plains. They could perhaps venture back together to investigate the rumors, disproving the existence of the dungeons and djinns once and for all.

When Noir finally arrived, the slaver was already sitting down on a cushion, his slime spider exploring the cover. Closing the book, then coaxing his friend onto the back of his hand. Greeting her by tossing her the book. "Have you heard the tale of the dungeons? They say there is one back at the plains." Almost laughing as he spoke, as if he didn't believe in their existence."

The golden eyed girl would tilt her head a little bit as she listened to the man who explained that he would prefer her to call him by his slave name, Eight, for now. Noir’s expression would remain stoic although she was a little bit curious about the reason for why he said he didn't quite own it yet. However she knew better to not pry too much on other people’s privacy and she would just nod to the man, implying that she was willing to call him as he wished. “I understand.”

A spider would crawl up, appearing from beneath Eight’s attire and that sudden movement from that small creature caught Noir’s attention. Her eyes would be gazing towards the small spider as it piqued her interest. But too bad… Perhaps it was too shy, it retreated to where it originally hid and Noir snapped herself out of it as she realized that she had been staring at Eight for too long, didn’t want to be rude.

It was pretty fun having someone share their excitement about the book they were reading, Noir enjoyed the time spent with Eight a lot and she would admit that she was very happy to be able to gain more insight and opinions from the man himself. She never met someone who was as enthusiastic as she was before and Noir was very happy to the point she would give a light smile unconsciously. It was as if she was feeling the burst of emotion that let her feel happy and it affected a little bit of her facial muscle, letting her to finally show her rare smile in front of other people.

“Likewise, Mr. Eight.” She said to the man as he left the library before preparing herself to leave for the day as well.

---

Noir was kind of excited when she arrived at the library and saw that Eight was already there, already started to read a book. She and Haku would approach the man, greeting him politely as she took her seat in one of the cushions.

“Tale of dungeons?” Noir asked back, as if she wanted to confirm his question and the way he asked it. The magician locked her eyes towards Eight’s, wanting to know why he asked that until she looked at the book he just tossed to her only to find out that this very book was the source of his curiosity. “I’ve heard about it. I entered two dungeons before…” She would pause for a second before muttering to herself, “At the plains… should I go…?” The magician would brush off the thoughts for now, she could try to think about it later when she got back to her room.

“Dungeons are a very dangerous place, however… full of wonder. There is a lot of ancient knowledge, ruins from ancient civilizations… remaining of… what was left of those people who used to live there.” There was a little bit of sadness hinted in her eyes, she could never find out what was the cause of the end of that civilization… she only knew about the dark cloud, but nothing more… Perhaps she should enter the dungeon, so she can ask the djinn about it? “Well, but I would suggest avoiding entering a dungeon. That place, although beautiful and full of wonders and knowledge, is very dangerous.”

The memory of Noir's smile was still fresh in his mind, imagining it as she would speak. Staring at her face, as the first words were drowned out momentarily. But as he refocused, he recalled the words she spoke. "You've entered two dungeons before?" His face curled into a confused grin, not sure if she was just joking. But recalling the general seriousness, was she simply mistaken?

"Dangerous? Ancient people. But that means you've made it out of two dungeons alive. I heard anyone who has lived is said to become a king or a 'queen'." He tried to understand when she spoke. Full of danger? Ancient civilizations? Her words seemed to match the tales she was told, but there had to be more detail than that.

"Avoiding the power of a king...? I don't think I could do that. How about you tell me about your adventures and I'll decide after that. What sort of dangers did you face?" He was still half in disbelief but he was willing to listen.

Noir shook her head, responding to what Eight said about those who managed to survive the dungeon. “Not everyone can be a king or a queen, only the one chosen by the Djinn can be either a ‘king’ or a ‘queen’, the other might be able to receive ancient power, turning themselves just like one of those ancient races. However… the unlucky ones, lost their lives in the dungeon...” The magician looked down, recalling that day… the day she accidentally killed him… no, there was no accident… it was her own body, her other self, playing a game to her mind.

“The first time I entered a dungeon was because of pure curiosity. I went in with my former mentor and we managed to meet the owner of the dungeon themselves. However the path was not smooth, there were riddles, doors you had to choose that will lead you to different paths, one dangerous but short, one peaceful but long." Noir recalled all the events in the dungeon as if she was just there a day before although it was like 2 years ago. It was fun, she remembered being mesmerized by the wonder offered by the dungeon. "I remember that we stepped on this tiles and there a claps sprung, grabbing my feet and it wouldn't release me until we managed to deactivate the trap. There are some otherworldly creatures as well, like a goblin, a sand golem, lizard knight and many others.” The way she explained was more like a story telling, sharing her exciting experience instead of a warning. But she couldn't help it, it was a whole new experience for her.

“I apologize though, I know it didn’t answer your question. However, if you want to go in, make sure you go with someone you trust and of course, with full preparation. Every dungeon is unique, some are… more peaceful, with a lot of tricks, some are brutal with a lot of strong creatures like a lava man, three headed dragon and more. You will never know what would happen once you enter the dungeon and explore it to the end.”

Eight was hanging on every word. It was as if Noir was sharing her horde of information of the dungeon, now all there was left was to go there and claim the power of kings for himself, even with Diana and perhaps one one of his other cohorts, it didn't feel like enough. But the answer was staring him in the face. Noir! She had the experience of entering more than one dungeon and making it back. Her strength in the raids was evident, and she was trustworthy, evidenced by how she had protected the strangers at the raid.

And this would allow him to see if Noir was crazy or not, she seemed amazing, but it was still hard to believe in dungeons. However, he would have to cut off ties with this woman if the dungeon was not real. "Noir, I have some people to go to the dungeon with me, but no one with experience. Would you be willing to be my guide?" He bowed his head graciously to Noir, hoping she would say yes, thinking she would say yes, purely from charity.

The magician was taken aback, surprised to hear Eight’s words. The story that she shared earlier was not just nonsense, she made up nothing in that story at all. Yes she survived the dungeon several times now, but there was a price she had to pay… Even so… Noir admitted that she would go and enter another dungeon if she could, there was something she wanted to ask the Djinn. Perhaps her current lead about those dark clouds… floating on the sky on the day those ancient civilizations were destroyed was only to ask the Djinn directly. But this man, he wanted to go to a dungeon but why...was it only based on his desire of power?

“I can’t be your guide, each dungeon has their own different structures. However I will accompany you, I want to enter the dungeon as well, I have to confirm something.” The black haired magician replayed that dream again inside her head, a dream of her family… and that dark clouds… “May I ask a question? Is it only power that you are seeking in the dungeon?”

Eight almost felt offended, it was as if Noir was questioning his very essence... his insatiable greed for wealth, which was simply an extension of his need for power. As a slave, he had still been trying to escape his path, but... he knew Noir wasn't trying to insult his character, she must have simply been curious? He still thought the best of Noir... deep down perhaps he was trying to find what it was like to respect and care for an equal, wondering what caused his parents to come together to bare his wretched life into existence.

"What else is there but power?" From the way she had answered, Eight was certain she would come with him. He extended a hand to her. "I can't wait to go with you."

"What else...?" Noir repeated Eight's question, "Knowledge... Ancient knowledge to be precise. For me, knowledge is the strongest power... Not that raw strength... not the ancient strength...nor wealth or status, but the knowledge." It was as if she was chanting to herself as she repeated the word 'knowledge', but it was her life calling, she was greedy for knowledge, her thirst for knowledge was insatiable. "Oh, but I was quick to assume that you might want to enter because you only want the power of the djinn, I apologize if it was not what you meant."

Noir would began to look at the book on the table, opening several pages without reading it. Her fingers would continue flipping the pages although her mind would be somewhere else. "I...spent my whole life as a slave in the past, without any memories about my life before that. The first time I read a book, I felt alive... I began to feel the thirst to gain knowledge ever since. I wish to learn everything, I wish... to get all the knowledge in the world." The black haired girl would use her hand to close the book before she looked up, staring towards Eight.

His expression was stern, as his eyes darting to observe her response as she spoke of knowledge, listening keenly for a moment to sense her tone. He could tell from her word selection how meaningful knowledge was to her. "So you agree? Knowledge is power. " He would smirk as if he won a key battle in one swoop via some underhanded tactic.

She had admitted to being a slave. Most slaves would not be fond of having a slaver in their midsts. Would she hate him if she realized the fact. Normally Eight wouldn't think twice about admitting to being a slaver but he was worried about Noir possibly hating him. This was the first time he felt shame for his path. This woman who had undergone a similar experience to him.... but she still found it in her heart to be kind to others selflessly, while he only thought of kindness as a tool to manipulate people. There were pangs of guilt in his heart tearing at his thoughts and emotions. He stood up, hiding behind a smile for Noir as he had to escape the situation.

"I was so entrenched in this discussion, that I forgot that I had a prior engagement. I will have to meet you a the dungeon, I will be busy until then." He bowed and left, unable to even spurt out a good bye.