A Librarian Is Born
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: A Librarian Is Born
Author: Latour
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A Librarian Is Born
Written by
Latour
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Cove.
A village, just north of the Orc Fortress, serves as a strategic outpost protecting Britannia from orc invasions. Perhaps due to its location, monsters sometimes appear even within the village itself. Of course, in most cases, calling the guards results in the monsters being quickly dealt with. But for the young daughter of a family that ran the village infirmary, that day turned out to be the first unlucky day of her life. She had been picking herbs alone near the edge of the apple orchard to help with the family business, when she came face to face with a Headless. Unfortunately, the guards had all been dispatched a few hours earlier due to a skirmish with orcs near the mines, and her small voice calling for help went unheard. Though the Headless was slow and weak, for a girl who had just turned seven that spring, it was a life-threatening encounter. As she ran desperately from the Headless, which approached with an eerie groan, she remembered what her parents had told her many times:
If you encounter a monster, call the guards.
If the guards don't come, run to the watchtower at the northern edge of the village.
If no one is inside, lock the door behind you.
Stay there and wait quietly until help arrives. With legs that trembled and barely moved as she wanted, she forced herself to keep running, nearly stumbling several times as she made her way to the watchtower. She slammed the heavy door shut and, summoning every bit of strength in her arms, dropped the latch into place.
She collapsed—just as the Headless hurled its weight against the door. Relief, anxiety, and fear—tears welled up in the girl's eyes.
§
The watchtower was dim and musty. She would have to wait here all alone until someone came to rescue her.
Various weapons were propped against the walls, but not one of them looked like something she could use. From outside, a muffled and unsettling groan echoed now and then.
It seemed the Headless couldn't get inside the tower—but neither had it given up on tonight's main course. As if fleeing from the sound, the girl dashed up the stairs to the second floor. There, she found a bleak room with nothing but an empty shelf and a single desk. No —something was resting on the desk. Wrapped in finely tooled leather with delicate designs, the object contained hundreds of pages of parchment bound together. It was a `book` —the first one she had ever seen in her life, growing up in a remote village where such things simply The moment she opened the cover, she was captivated by a beautiful illustration.
A copperplate engraving delicately painted in many colors showed a young girl around her own age.
The scene was set deep in an ancient forest. Backed by a mighty oak, the girl stood surrounded by monsters.
One-eyed beasts and horned monsters crept menacingly toward her.
But the girl was not alone. A large creature had stepped between her and the horde, standing protectively before her, ready to face the monsters with unwavering courage.
The girl recognized the creature, with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
"A griffon!"
It had been some years ago, during a festival in Cove. Among the many stalls, one had been displaying stone statues, and there she had seen a figure shaped like a creature unlike any she had ever encountered. Her father had told her it was a griffon—a mythical beast that didn't exist in Britannia.
And now, the creature she had once seen as a statue was flapping its wings in the pages before her eyes. The girl, as if beckoned, turned the parchment pages.
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"Fear thee not, young mistress, for I am come. By mine honour and solemn oath, I shall be thy shield 'gainst all wicked foes." The griffon cried out, and without hesitation, raised
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its talons and leapt into the fray. So fierce was its presence that the monsters shrank back in fear. With a mighty roar, the griffon sent them all flying far into the sky.
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The girl felt a surge of relief and exhilaration.
As she read on, her fear and loneliness melted away.
It was as if the griffon truly stood beside her, shielding her from danger. What could possibly happen next?
Eyes sparkling with anticipation, she turned the page.
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Once the monsters were thoroughly vanquished, the griffon gently lowered itself to the ground. "Henceforth, I shall accompany thee, young mistress, on thy wondrous and perilous quest."
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The griffon placed the girl gently on its back. With a powerful beat of its wings, they soared high, higher into the sky. Together they cried out: "Come, let us go—to the world's end and beyond!"
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By the time she looked up, night had completely fallen—but she hadn't noticed at all.
Moonlight from the twin moons streamed through the window.
By its faint glow, she kept on reading.
No—she was no longer just reading a book.
The more she turned the pages, the more deeply she was drawn into the world within.
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The griffon carried her through the stars at astonishing speed. From afar, the red moon Felucca and the pale blue moon Trammel approached. The girl waved, and the sibling moons returned her
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greeting with graceful nods. As they passed between the twin moons, a dazzling light enveloped them, and the girl instinctively shut her eyes.
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When she opened them again, a strange space stretched out before her.
The world she had come from now looked like a sparkling shard of crystal.
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All around her, countless other shards floated, each one a world of its own. In every one of them, life was laughing, crying, and countless stories were being spun.
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"I've decided!" The girl cried out, her eyes shining brightly. "I'm going to travel through all these worlds, forever and ever—with you! Is that okay?" "Aye, with all my heart!"
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The griffon replied, beaming with joy. Its body began to shimmer with iridescent light. Soon, that light gently spread across the space around them, softly dyeing it in hues of wonder.
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Verily, thou and I may journey wheresoever we will—nay, even through the very currents of time itself. And more wondrous still: we hold the power to fashion worlds anew. From this
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moment forth, thou shalt encounter thousands—nay, tens of thousands—of myself, and together shall we brave countless quests. We shall abide in waiting, for thee alone, now and unto eternity...
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When she awoke, the girl was being carried home on her father's back.
"...Dad?"
Hearing her small voice, her father gently responded over his shoulder. "You're awake. That must have been scary."
"What about the griffon?"
Her unexpected question made her father raise an eyebrow, but he quickly smiled and replied:
"It's all right now. I took care of the monster." The girl opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she simply rested against his back and closed her eyes once more.
§
She grew up to become a healer, traveling across Britannia for a time before eventually retiring.
By a twist of fate, she found herself working as a librarian, managing a library day by day.
And even now, surrounded by thousands of books, she has never come across that mysterious volume again.
Still seeking the books she has yet to meet, the librarian turns another page today.